Youngstown must not allow a replay of scaffolding saga

Mayor Charles Sammarone is justifiably cautious about the pledges from the owner of a downtown parking garage that major repairs will be undertaken in the near future. After all, it was a year ago that structural problems with A-1 Parking, 23 W. Boardman St., were identified, but Yeshohua Weider of Brooklyn, N.Y., did nothing.

Last week, Weider told The Vindicator that he was in the final stages of hiring a contractor to make repairs at a cost of $200,000 to $400,000, but decided to hold off. Why? Because the city of Youngstown condemned the downtown parking deck.

In reaction to the condemnation, Weider lashed out at city officials, saying, “They act like they’re in Cuba; the Cuban government does whatever they want.” Does the Brooklyn. N.Y., resident really believe that he would have gotten away with ignoring a government order in Cuba?

The attitude displayed by the New Yorker toward the city of Youngstown is similar to the attitude of the out-of-town owner of the PNC Bank Building in heart of the city with regard to scaffolding that had been up for so long that it had rusted. Pan Brothers Associates of New York City showed little regard for city government and the people of the Mahoning Valley and dragged out the fa ßade improvements project for years.

Things got so bad with the saga of the scaffolding that former Mayor Jay Williams threatened last February to file a lawsuit against Pan Brothers. Even then, it wasn’t until September that the fa ßade improvements were completed.

Such arrogance on the part of an absentee owner of a major high rise structure in the downtown area was a bitter pill to swallow.

Mayor Sammarone, who took office in August, must make sure that the owner of the A-1 Parking Garage doesn’t give him the runaround like the owner of PNC Bank Building did with his predecessor, Williams.

The mayor should set a date certain by when the structural improvements are to be started and to be completed. In addition, the city should make it clear to the owner that his criticism of government for doing its job — ensuring public safety — is insulting and unacceptable. Had Weider reacted as a more responsible property owner and listened to the engineering firm he hired in December 2010, the city would not have been forced to condemn the structure.

Crumbling

City officials first contacted the owner in November 2010 after portions of the building’s exterior fell onto the street. With the PNC Bank Building situation, pieces of granite on the exterior fell onto the roof on the lower part.

In December, Weider hired i.a. lewin, p.e., and associates of Cleveland to inspect the 200-space, six-story structure. The report was completed in March and given to the city in August. The city agreed to the improvements that had been recommended in engineer’s report and asked Weider to secure the building permits so work could proceed. He never did.

His time is up. If he doesn’t live up to his responsibility as the owner of a structure used by the public, the Sammarone administration should find a way to force him to deliver.

When he brought the building in 2009 for $200,000 did he not have an inspection done that would have told him of the condition and of the short- and long-range improvements that would have to be made?

He now says that doing what’s necessary to make the structure safe is “very expensive.” That’s not the concern of city government or the residents of Youngstown.