Iconic downtown Vindicator building enters new manufacturing era with YBI

YOUNGSTOWN

The Vindicator office building at West Boardman Street and Vindicator Square went from telling the story to being the story Thursday, when the Youngstown Business Incubator welcomed it as the fifth building in its downtown Tech Block campus.

“Today marks another step in Youngstown’s turnaround,” said Barb Ewing, chief operating officer of YBI, touted as the No. 1

university-affiliated business incubator in the world.

Government officials, Youngstown State University leaders, community members and others gathered to fill a portion of West Boardman Street an hour before the 11 a.m. festivities. Those in attendance were given a tour of YBI’s new building, which will be used for additive manufacturing startup firms and graduate space for YBI’s successful portfolio companies.

“It’s just a perfect location for us,” Ewing said.

The building also is perfect for YBI’s ambitious plans. Because it is constructed of reinforced structural steel and poured concrete, it will be able to handle equipment related to additive manufacturing, or the process of joining materials to make objects from 3-D model data.

Ewing thanked several organizations and people who had helped to make the expansion possible, including Vindicator Publisher Betty Jagnow and General Manager Mark Brown.

The structure, marked by the iconic Vindicator sign, was once home to the newspaper staff where reporters diligently worked for decades to chronicle years of important Youngstown and Mahoning Valley history. The building’s history extends back to the William Maag family.

“I promise you that we will do all we can to preserve the legacy and the family,” Ewing said. “And to honor the newspaper and all it has meant to our community.”

Read more about the project in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.