Oakhill Renaissance shows county government at best

All together now: “We told you so.” Supporters of Mahoning County government’s takeover of the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center have earned the right to gloat given the harsh criticism directed at them by opponents of the office building project.

As last Sunday’s front page Vindicator story revealed, the five-story, 338,000-square-foot Oakhill Renaissance Place on Oak Hill Avenue in Youngstown is getting rave reviews — from the people who matter most, the tenants.

Clearly, the $75,000 price, plus all liens, real estate taxes and an Ohio Department of Development loan made to the previous owner, Southside Community Development Corp., was money well spent. SCDC took over the enormous complex when Forum Health closed Southside Medical Center. The non-profit corporation saved the facility from being boarded up and becoming an eyesore overlooking downtown. County commissioners Anthony Traficanti and David Ludt stepped in when SCDC was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Traficanti and Ludt showed political leadership — in the face of intense pressure from a very powerful business, the Cafaro Co., which attempted to stop the purchase. The commissioners had made it clear that they intended to move the Job and Family Services agency from Cafaro’s Garland Plaza on the East Side to Oakhill Renaissance Place.

The individuals who stepped forward to create Southside Community Development Corp. have earned the appreciation of the community. Special recognition goes to Atty. John Weed Powers, who spent countless hours to keep the complex afloat. We single Powers out because he reminds us of a time in this region’s history when the common good took precedence over private interest.

When it became financially prohibitive for SCDC to keep going, Powers, whose service to the area spans decades, put his reputation on the line by lobbying county government.

Opposition

The third county commissioner, John A. McNally IV, along with county Auditor Michael Sciortino and then Treasurer John B. Reardon, remained opposed to the project to the end.

They have been proved wrong.

As The Vindicator story showed, not only are the current tenants pleased and enthusiastic about their quarters, but more are being lined up.

A government office complex that once was a hospital is a perfect illustration of what public-private sector cooperation can produce when the greater good is the goal.

We have no doubt that county government will face some challenges as it strives to make Oakhill Renaissance Place break even financially, but our belief in the project — our editorial support spans several years — remains firm.

Given that the county must make good on back taxes and a loan owed to the state, it is not unreasonable for the commissioners to seek help from Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. He was a member of Congress representing the 6th District — it includes Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County — before he was elected governor. Strickland has said that his ties to the Mahoning Valley were a major factor in his victory.

Since taking office in 2007, Strickland has stepped up to assist the region in its economic development endeavors, which is why he should be invited to tour Oakhill Renaissance Place. He will see how the facility is contributing to the revitalization of Youngstown’s downtown area.

We are confident that once the governor understands what is taking place, he will do what he can to assist Mahoning County government with the financial obligations it inherited.