YOUNGSTOWN | New alliance aims to enhance downtown

February 22, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Many people clearly and painfully remember the downtown Youngstown of the mid-1990s as a place that largely was neglected and forgotten.

Much of Federal Plaza was shuttered and filled with plywood-covered storefront windows. Few people ventured to the area after dark, and many streetlights were off to save money.

In addition, many Youngstown State University students were too afraid to spend time downtown; others drove daily to and from YSU without any thought of visiting the city.

Now, the corridor continues to enjoy a renaissance, including a closer relationship with the university and a greater number of businesses moving in.

It is hoped the trend will continue, and another piece to the city’s growth and vitality is the newly launched Downtown Business Alliance of Youngstown, many community leaders and others say.

“We’re going to make this work,” Richard M. Hahn said during a news conference Thursday at V2 Wine Bar Trattoria, 100 W. Federal St. “We have the right people in place, and I think it’s going to be very effective for everybody.”

Hahn, president of Keynote Media Group LLC, spoke about the goals and objectives of DBAY, which is a collaborative group of stakeholders in the downtown business district, including business owners and leaders of nonprofit organizations, who wish to improve the city’s image and economic well-being.

To those ends, DBAY is dedicated to using marketing and public-relations efforts to further promote business, entertainment and residential opportunities in the area, Hahn noted.

During his presentation, Hahn cited the results of recent questionnaires gauging people’s attitudes pertaining to downtown.

Nearly all respondents said they felt the city was moving in the right direction, and 87 percent expressed optimism about Youngstown’s future, he explained.

Forty-five percent said they wanted to see more retail businesses downtown.

Also, 90 percent felt more promotion efforts were needed, Hahn continued, adding that safety, parking and code enforcement were top priorities.

DBAY also is a component of Youngstown CityScape, a grass-roots organization committed to revitalizing downtown and the city’s gateways largely through beautification, educational and historic-preservation efforts.

“It’s clear we’re all in this together,” said Sharon Letson, CityScape’s executive director. “We’re growing almost faster than we can keep up. That’s a wonderful problem to have.”

For more information, go to www.dbayoungstown.org.