Warren’s future depends on residents’ involvement

When Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien sat in Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown on the evening of Jan. 27, 2005, he was one of 1,300 area residents to witness the unveiling of “Youngstown 2010 — Sharing a vision for a better tomorrow.” To say that O’Brien was inspired would be an understatement. The mayor left the event determined to develop a similar plan for his city.

In the intervening four years, there were stops and starts, reassessments and revisions, but O’Brien never gave up on the idea that the future of Warren requires a well-conceived plan of action.

Thus it was on Monday evening that the “2009 Warren Revitalization Strategy” was publicly unveiled at Warren G. Harding High School. The fact that only 75 residents bothered to show up should not detract from the importance of the occasion. Warren, like other urban centers in America, is experiencing economic stagnation brought on by the loss of good-paying jobs and a decline in population. The impact of major employers closing up shop or reducing their payrolls has been well publicized. Likewise, with 45,000 residents, Warren must come to terms with the reality that over the past 35 years, there has been a 30 percent drop in population.

One major effect of the drop has been an increase in the number of vacant houses. Since 1990, the city has accumulated an average of 93 vacant houses per year, leading to a total of more than 3,000.

Against that backdrop, Mayor O’Brien and city council asked Poggemeyer Group of Bowling Green to develop a strategy to “right size” the neighborhoods and downtown, and eliminate blight.

Poignant observation

Charlene Kerr, principal owner of Poggemeyer, offered this poignant observation during the unveiling of the revitalization strategy: Warren does not need a new attraction, such as the $45 million sports/entertainment complex in downtown Youngstown, to draw people into the city.

“There is so much here, it is phenomenal,” Kerr said, pointing to recreational, historical and cultural attractions that draw hundreds of people to the central business district. The key, she added, is for residents to appreciate what the city has to offer.

That said, there certainly are challenges that must be addressed, foremost of which is reducing the housing stock by about 4,000. Dilapidated structures are the leading cause of blight in neighborhoods. The city is receiving $1.4 million from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program that will enable it to tear down 60 to 70 houses a year through 2013. In the past, the city has been able to demolish only about 30 a year, while experiencing a drop of 120 “households” — a statistical term measuring individuals, couples or families — annually.

In developing the revitalization strategy, Poggemeyer divided the city into five areas: North East, North West, South East, South West and Central City. In each of the areas, citizen participation will be sought as the strategy is implemented.

Neighborhood associations and residents will be tapped to come up with solutions to problems found in specific areas.

Citywide, residents have identified crime-fighting and blight-elimination as top priorities that demand government’s immediate attention.

“2009 Warren Revitalization Strategy” does not contain bells and whistles or pie-in-the-sky goals. Rather, it provides a realistic approach to first of all stabilize the city’s neighborhoods and then focus on generating additional revenue by attracting new residents and visitors to Warren.