2 downtown buildings will get a new purpose

By KATIE SEMINARA

Plans are being formed to renovate the Kress Building.

YOUNGSTOWN — Demolition on the Armed Forces Building and the State Theater on West Federal Street started last week as part of the Tech Block expansion.

The Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. is on schedule with the plans it arranged more than a year ago.

According to Vindicator files, the CIC said it would have remediation and demolition of the two buildings completed by the end of 2008, and at a meeting Tuesday, Dave Kosec, development project manager, said the completion date will be Dec. 15.

The two buildings, between the Wells Building and the John R. Davis Building on West Federal, eventually will become a tech building.

The facade of the State Theater will be spared as well as a 20-foot section inside the front of the building.

During the limbo period, the demolished property will be transformed into temporary green space and a parking lot with about 30 spots, Kosec said.

The CIC also has renovation plans for another idle piece of Youngstown property a little further east on Federal — the Kress Building.

Although the Kress Building doesn’t necessarily fit into the Tech Block, the CIC has an interest to salvage the building, Kosec said.

By spending no more than $15,000 on a Phase I and Phase II study of the building, the CIC could be eligible for Clean Ohio Funds to rejuvenate the Kress Building.

The option would be to gut the interior, leaving only the facade and steel frame then create something new.

“We would get to a point of preserving a building, but creating a modern shell,” said Kosec of keeping alive the old while combining it with the new.

It also was reported at the CIC meeting that the roof over Two Guys clothing building was completed in July.

The Taft Technology Center was visited by Economic Development Administration representatives recently, and they were pleased with the projects’ timing and success, Kosec said.

Because the building was put to immediate use and is creating jobs with salaries ranging from $30,000 to $50,000, the CIC may be eligible for a bonus program, he added.

The EDA can recommend that the CIC get the bonus grant money but not promise the bonus.

“It’s still unknown but could be called good news,” Kosec said.