Closed and “for sale” businesses will get coverings for their windows and doors.

Closed and “for sale” businesses will get coverings for their windows and doors.

STAFF REPORT

The effort to reclaim a designated area along the South Avenue Corridor and create sustainable neighborhoods received a helping hand from some artists at East High School, Taft Elementary School and YMHA Youth Build.

The young people provided their artistic talent to a “Blight to Light” effort as part of the South Avenue Area Neighborhood Development Initiative (SAANDI) mission to provide a healthy and higher quality of life, with sustainable local businesses and job creation, through the collaboration of agencies, organizations and residents.

SAANDI is a coalition of churches, schools, businesses, block watches and real estate investors working to revitalize 27 streets along the South Avenue Corridor.

“Blight to Light” involves the painting of 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood for boarding up dilapidated houses and buildings in the SAANDI target area. The closed and “for sale” businesses are a canvas for youth artwork and the transformation will begin shortly.

SAANDI was established supporting the concept of the Youngstown 2010 city redevelopment plan. The initiative was formed in July 2009 by a collaboration of individuals from four block watches, real estate investors and the city. A steering committee was formed consisting of individuals from the city, local churches, schools, businesses, social agencies, the Mahoning Valley Real Estate Investor Association, the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition, Inc. and the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative.

SAANDI encompasses the streets from East Avondale Avenue to Interstate 680 along the South Avenue Corridor. The block watches in the partnership are the South Avenue, Gibson Heights, Taft School Area and Lansingville.

Gail Stark, steering committee chairwoman, said immediate success can be seen with the Metro Ministries Youth Group adoption of the South Avenue Block Watch in the summer of 2009. The youth group cleaned the neighborhoods and properties along the streets of Samuel, Dickson, Mabel and Cameron. The group cut the grass and plowed a field for a youth garden.

The block watch presidents walked their streets inventorying and analyzing the properties in their respective neighborhoods. Identifying vacant and occupied houses, they focused on houses that would not pass exterior inspections, and/or needed to be demolished. In most cases, the condition of the houses did not make rehabilitation economically feasible or practical.

Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies analyzed the properties using the Mahoning County Auditor’s records database to identify the property owners and their tax mailing addresses. More than 20 percent of the properties have the Mahoning County Treasurer or a mortgage company as the tax mailing address, while approximately 70 percent are non-owner occupied. The property maps are being evaluated for future development including strategic demolition, crime reduction and reutilization plans.

The Initiative’s goals include creating a healthy renaissance plan that includes the development of community gardens, food pantries, a business association and continued collaborative efforts. The SAANDI steering committee will develop a strategic plan that will be presented to the neighborhood activists and community for examination and implementation by spring 2010.