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Grenga Machine seizure delayed
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Grenga
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STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN — The 7th District Court of Appeals has granted a temporary stay of the city’s seizure and demolition of the Grenga Machine and Welding Co. storage facility at 128 W. Rayen Ave.
The appeals court will have a hearing on the matter at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in its courtroom at 131 W. Federal St.
Through his lawyer, John F. Shultz, company owner Joseph Grenga filed Friday a notice of appeal and a motion for a stay of the writ of possession granted to the city by Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The appeals court granted the temporary stay on Friday.
Judge Evans’ Feb. 13 order said the city could take possession of the property as of this past Sunday to permit Grenga to vacate the premises.
The city seeks to take and raze Grenga’s property to enable a northward extension of Hazel Street in conjunction with Youngstown State University’s new $34.3 million business school, for which construction is scheduled to start this spring.
When the city filed its petition to appropriate Grenga’s property by eminent domain in January 2008, it deposited $205,000 in escrow with the common pleas court and attached a city council resolution and ordinance in support of the acquisition.
Grenga rejected the city’s offer to buy the 102-year-old, 10,515-square-foot building for that amount. Grenga bought the building for $95,800 in 2001.