43
Stimulus speeds up 2 city-street projects
Photo
By DAVID SKOLNICK
YOUNGSTOWN
Without federal stimulus dollars, it would be years before Youngstown could pay for improvement projects to two main gateways into its downtown, a city official said.
But thanks to about $816,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the projects will be done this summer, said Charles T. Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.
Stimulus money will pay the entire cost, about $400,000, to resurface East Federal Street from Walnut Street to the Crab Creek overpass, just west of Wilson Avenue.
Also, $416,000 in stimulus money will be used for a project to resurface and make improvements to catch basins on Glenwood Avenue between Mahoning and Falls avenues.
The total cost of the Glenwood project is $520,000. The city is paying $20,800 with the rest coming from the state, Shasho said.
“The stimulus funding has provided the greatest opportunity to impact the city’s infrastructure in a long time,” he said.
The city’s board of control approved contracts related to the two projects at a Tuesday meeting.
Also, the board approved a $76,000 contract to have David Boos manage the city-owned Henry Stambaugh Golf Course.
Boos, the course’s golf pro since 2006, will oversee the course as well as hire part-time workers to help operate and maintain Stambaugh.
The city will keep all of the course’s profits.
The city plans to hire two part-timers who were laid off last year to work as cashiers at the course.
The course could open as early as Friday, weather permitting, city officials say.