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Tressel wants to attract developers near YSU campus
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The past 15 years have brought restaurants and businesses to the city’s downtown, but the area surrounding Youngstown State University hasn’t shared in that development.
President Jim Tressel wants to change that.
He plans to seek requests for proposals for more development near the university.
“The biggest thing when I’ve talked to many students on and around campus and to citizens is, ‘We don’t have a grocery store,’” Tressel said. “That’s a real need, especially for international students.”
Those students don’t have cars, and many have no family in the area.
“The first priority is to get a grocery store and try to slowly build other types of places that students always talk about,” he said.
Tressel sees the project in phases of short- and longer-term goals.
A longer- range goal is more off-campus housing closer to campus. The university is expanding its recruitment footprint, trying to attract students from outside of the Mahoning and Shenango valleys.
“We’re planning a two-pronged attack,” Tressel said. “The most pressing needs may be even ready by 2016 fall. For the major planning, we’re saying to developers, ‘Come in and dream a little bit with us.’ By 2017-2018, we’re hoping to prove we can bring the traffic.”
Colleges and universities are participating in the planning of their surrounding areas to ensure they have a role in the process, he said.
Improving the appearances of both Wick and Fifth avenues would make the area more attractive to developers, too.
“The way downtown has flourished, this is really an attractive place to be,” the president said.
Tressel said developers want to know that an investment in the area near YSU is a wise one. They’re watching enrollment numbers as well as traffic surrounding campus year-round.
Although it’s too soon to predict a significant fall- enrollment increase, the number of applications has increased from this time last year, Tressel said.
YSU personnel are keeping count of the number of people who visit campus, he said.
“Every division is itemizing every visitor who comes to [its] division, and every college is doing the same,” Tressel said.
That includes prospective students, people who visit the planetarium or attend a sporting event, theater or musical production. The number of facility rentals also will be included.
“I want to get a number which I think will be really eye-popping,” Tressel said. “I can’t say what I think it will be, but it will be a big number.”