Youngstown is buying $757,000 in equipment to demolish vacant structures

YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s board of control approved the purchase of about $757,000 worth of equipment that the street department will use to demolish dilapidated structures.

The board vote today allows the department to buy seven pieces of equipment including excavators and tractor portions of tractor-trailers.

The city also plans to seek proposals for three other pieces of equipment, including dump trailers, shortly with all of the items expected to arrive by the late spring, said Abigail Beniston, the city’s code enforcement and blight remediation superintendent.

Earlier this month, city council authorized the board of control to spend $1.1 million for the demolition equipment with the city borrowing the money and paying it back over a 10-year period. The remaining equipment will use the unused portion of the $1.1 million, Beniston said.

The interest rate is about 2.5 percent.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com