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City to seek $1.5 million to clean up Wean
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A look at the Wean United Building looking north from the Market Street bridge in downtown Youngstown. The city plans to seek $1.5 million from the state to clean up and partially tear down the building.
YOUNGSTOWN
The city plans to file an application to receive about $1.5 million in state money to clean up and partially demolish the former Wean United Building downtown.
City council will consider legislation Wednesday authorizing the administration to apply for Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund money for the work.
About 50,000 square feet of the structure, closest to Market Street, would be demolished with work to remove asbestos and other harmful materials from the entire structure on South Phelps Street, said city Finance Director David Bozanich. The building is about 150,000 square feet.
“For years we’ve been trying to find a way to remove the” one piece of the building, Bozanich said. “It’s a real ugly piece with the roof falling off. If you took off that [piece], it could be aesthetically pleasing.”
The improvement work would “eliminate the eyesore that exists on a main thoroughfare and you make a building more commercially viable,” Bozanich said.
Wean United closed the plant in 1989. Portions of the buildings have been used by other companies since then.
The city has received about $30 million from the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, Bozanich said, for projects including demolition work to the former Weatherbee Coat Factory, YWCA, three parcels on the site of the V&M Star expansion and a Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. office,
On Wednesday, council will consider authorizing the board of control to negotiate development deals with three companies:
The Federal Building on West Federal Street would receive $100,000 from the city; not have to pay building permit, and water and sewer tap-in fees; and could receive a real property tax abatement of up to 100 percent.
The Children’s Museum of the Valley would receive a grant of up to $62,000 to pay for 50 percent of the cost of installing new utility lines at 1 W. Federal St.
B.J. Alan Co. would have its building permit, and water and sewer tap-in fees waived for its new building at 1260 N. Meridian Road.