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Former Youngstown fire station for sale
YOUNGSTOWN
The city is seeking to sell a 92-year-old vacant fire station on the South Side that’s had structural issues and problems with rodents, mold and water leaks.
“There will be no minimum price established for consideration,” according to the city’s request for proposals to acquire former Station No. 9 at East Midlothian Boulevard and Sheridan Road.
Yet, “we’ve been getting calls from people interested in buying it since it was closed” in March, said Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. “There’s been steady interest.”
The city is accepting sealed proposals for the 2,494- square-foot building until 4 p.m. Sept. 19. The city will open the proposals at that time.
The board of control — Mayor John A. McNally, Finance Director David Bozanich and Law Director Martin Hume — will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria:
The proposed use of the facility conforms to the neighborhood environment and community benefit. McNally said that is the “most important” factor.
The proposed improvements in context of its end use.
Financial or other guarantees related to the proposal.
The city spent about $900,000 for the new Station No. 9 at Ipes Field on East Midlothian Boulevard that opened six months ago.
There were numerous problems for decades with the previous station, built in 1922.
That station had timber jacked up to support the basement ceiling with barely enough room to pull in a firetruck. O’Neill said in 2006 that the space where the truck was parked had deteriorated so much that it was in danger of collapsing. There also were problems with rodents, mold and water leaks.
The city wants to sell the structure soon, O’Neill said.
“I have to winterize it, and I don’t want to do that” because of the cost, he said.