Sign of Mahoning Valley industry comes down

STORY & PHOTOS

BY William D. Lewis

YOUNGSTOWN

Yet another symbol of the Mahoning Valley’s industrial heritage is falling victim to the wrecking ball.

The former Wean United building on South Phelps Street is being demolished, and its owners, Gearmar Properties, will turn the property over to the city of Youngstown when demolition is complete.

The huge building near the Mahoning River in downtown Youngstown housed numerous industrial concerns over its lifetime and provided employment for generations of Valley workers.

William Marsteller, president of Gearmar Properties, said he is amazed at the things that were made at the facility over the years, including parts used in the construction of the Panama Canal.

“It’s sad to see it come down, but it will serve the community better this way,” Marsteller said.

As Marsteller and William Duda, Gearmar Properties property manager, walked through the building demolition, workers used torches to cut away at large steel beams — some of them were more than 48 inches wide — from the structure while others used heavy equipment to move piles of debris and metal. The material will be sold for scrap.

Demolition likely will be complete by the end of the year, Duda said.

Plans for the property may include a park or additional parking for the nearby Covelli Centre. Duda says he hopes to see an amphitheater built on the site.