City delays commercial building project because of color and texture

YOUNGSTOWN — A city committee refused today to approve plans for a CVS store on vacant land on the North Side because its members objected to the proposed building’s exterior colors and texture as well as its layout on the property.

The decision by the design review committee to not approve the construction of a 11,945-square-foot store left Ken Hrabar of Orion Development, the project’s developer, “a little bit shocked, quite frankly.”

The committee asked Hrabar to speak to CVS officials about making changes. The company could reconsider the exterior color and texture of the building, he said, but the company won’t change the layout of the proposed store.

There is a strong possibility the company will walk away from the project, Hrabar said.

When asked the cost of the proposal, Hrabar said only that it was a “multi-million-dollar project.”

The proposed CVS location — on the West side of Fifth Avenue between Westbound Service Road and Park Avenue — has raised some previous controversy.

A company scrapped its plans to build a $17 million housing facility there in September. That project faced opposition from Youngstown State University and Stambaugh Auditorium.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com