Youngstown council approves V&M land deal

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — Another step was taken toward clearing the way to make the Mahoning Valley a more attractive location for a potential $970 million expansion project by V&M Star Steel.

Youngstown City Council had a special meeting Friday to adopt an ordinance to take 191 acres from Girard to be used for the potential expansion.

Trumbull County commissioners need to approve legislation to give Youngstown that land. Trumbull commissioners favor the annexation and are expected to give their OK to it before the end of the year.

Because the land would be in Youngstown but remain a part of Trumbull County and the Girard school district, commissioners in Trumbull have to approve the deal, said Youngstown Law Director Iris Torres Guglucello.

No approval for the land transfer is needed by Mahoning County commissioners, she said.

Also, Clerk of Council Valencia Marrow is required to notify the boards of elections in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in writing no later than 30 days from Friday of the land boundary change as required by state law, according to the ordinance approved by city council.

Under the agreement between the two cities, Youngstown and Girard would share 2.75-percent taxes generated by the new facility’s profits and employees’ income.

V&M wouldn’t consider the site for an expansion unless all of the property was in Youngstown, Youngstown and Girard officials said.

It would be near the company’s plant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Youngstown, near the Girard border.

Vallourec Group, V&M’s parent company, is expected to decide on the site by December or January.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams met Monday with Vallourec officials in Paris and said company leaders left him believing the Valley is the preferred site.

Under the agreement between the cities, Youngstown council had to approve the deal no later than 30 days after Girard council endorsed the proposal. Girard council passed the land ordinance Oct. 12.

The Youngstown law department expected city council to vote on it Wednesday, Torres Guglucello said. City council canceled that meeting because it was the day after Election Day. Council traditionally doesn’t have a meeting the day after Election Day.

Instead of Wednesday’s meeting, council had two quick special meetings this week. In addition to Friday’s meeting, council met Monday to approve a tax-break proposal for a company.