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Hotels, a restaurant, tech center on the list for development in the Mahoning Valley
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Ask Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill about economic development in the village and his excitement is obvious as he lists the ongoing projects and looks to the future.
“We are having a couple of other good [economic development] inquiries, but nothing is established yet,” Arno said.
Last year, Matalco, a Brampton, Ontario-based aluminum-extrusion company, broke ground on a 200,000-square-foot facility at the Ohio Commerce Center. An expected 60 to 80 full-time personnel will be employed there to produce aluminum billets.
Construction on the Matalco facility is ongoing with an expected completion date in 2016.
“Progress on Matalco’s Lordstown facility is moving as planned,” said Robert Roscetti, Matalco’s director of corporate development. “On-site construction activity is also progressing relatively well given the time of year.”
The Matalco announcement was just one of many that came in 2014 for Lordstown and the Mahoning Valley.
From the opening of a tech center in Warren to the development of a hotel in Youngstown, there were several economic development announcements made. Some of these will come to fruition this year; others may take longer.
YOUNGSTOWN
Ground is expected to be broken on the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Youngstown this year. The Stambaugh Building at 44 E. Federal St. will be converted to a 120-bed hotel that will include a restaurant and banquet facility. The project, a collaboration between NYO Property Group and New York real-estate company Pan Brothers Associates, has a price tag of $25 million.
Marshall Hotels and Resorts Inc. will operate the hotel that is expected to open in June 2016.
“There is never a lack of excitement in downtown Youngstown,” Mayor John A. McNally said. “In the downtown area, there are some things coming together. We have some things that are in the developing stages.”
The more than 100-year-old Wick Tower, 34 W. Federal St., another NYO property, will be renovated to have 52 apartments and extended-stay living facilities.
NYO Property Group’s website lists January 2015 as the grand opening for the tower.
The Gatta Co. of Niles received a $1.32 million Ohio Historic Preservation tax credit from the Ohio Development Services Agency to update the Gallagher building at 23 N. Hazel St. Renovations on the future apartment and restaurant building are expected to be started in the spring.
Strollo Architects has taken on the $5 million improvement project of the Wells Building on West Federal Street.
Strollo Architects, housed at 20 Federal Place, plans to use the ground floor of the 23,564-square-foot building as its office and have 12 apartments on the structure’s upper three floors.
The work is expected to be complete by Sept. 1.
Regional Chamber
The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber continues to look at economic development opportunities in manufacturing, distribution and customer service.
“It is good to have an opportunity for every type of individual, and we want to make sure that every person in the Valley has an opportunity for a job,” said Sarah Boyarko, vice president for economic development.
Austintown
The township will see more development along state Route 46 starting this year.
David Kovass, president of the Meander Hospitality Group, said the company expects to break ground on an 87-room Hilton on Interstate Boulevard.
The company, which also operates the Hampton Inn on Route 46, is just waiting to secure the financing for the new development. Kovass hopes the Hilton will be open by 2016.
Boardman
A popular restaurant based in Pittsburgh has plans to take a spot where a video store used to be on South Avenue.
Primanti Bros., known for large sandwiches topped with coleslaw and fries, submitted plans to Boardman zoning to move into the old Hollywood Video at 6731 South Ave.
The site was approved, but with just 47 parking spots on the lot, a variance from the zoning department is needed. The requirement is 90, Zoning Inspector Sarah Gartland said.
Other developments in the township include a new mattress store, car wash and dollar store.
“This is the time of year that everyone is trying to get their approvals now because everyone wants to start building in the spring and summer,” Gartland said.
Warren
By next month, a more-than-two-year, $3.1 million project by the Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center to renovate a 39,000-square-foot downtown facility will be complete. It’s the former S.S. Kresge Co. store at 125 W. Market St., directly across from the courthouse.
“The center is going to open, and we will start leasing space in February,” said Dave Nestic, the facility’s chief executive of regional operations.
The multiple-floor facility will be open to companies with which the incubator works.
“The center is intended to be a magnet for doing work,” Nestic said. “It gives us an asset that is attractive to the start-up companies we work with.”
Salem
A 70-room Holiday Inn Express is expected to open in June on East State Street.
“We are still under construction and things are going very well,” said Greg Erosenko, public relations officer of the Forza Group, the company developing the hotel. “We are quite excited about it.”
The Forza Group operates hotels primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Salem Mayor John Berlin said the hotel is needed in the area because visitors often have to travel to Canfield or Boardman for a hotel.
“We are really happy to see this happen,” Berlin said.