Youngstown ranked second to last in the study out of 16 other peer business districts

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

In a study of Youngstown and its peer cities, the city’s downtown central business district ranks second to last in many categories.

But Thomas Maraffa, a Youngstown State University professor in the geography department, doesn’t want that to make people feel discouraged about the state of the city.

“Youngstown is really just getting started,” he said during the 16th Economic Action Group meeting Tuesday. “It’s natural it would be behind. It tells us that ... there is a lot of potential to move up.”

Maraffa spoke to several in attendance at the meeting with downtown professionals.

The peer city report used data from 2012 to compare the city with others.

Similar cities have both comparable and aspirational characteristics.

The population was used in this study, as well as having a river in the city’s environment, and the location.

Some of the cities chosen in the peer study are: Toledo, Utica, N.Y., and Allentown, Pa.

For the number of employees in the central business district of the city, Youngstown ranked second to last in the study out of 16 other peer business districts; it also ranked second to last for number of establishments and payroll.

But the payroll per employee ranked ninth.

“In the last five years what has happened to downtown is positive,” he said. “It takes time. It took a long time to get things where they are.

The important thing is a consistent effort in the same direction over a long period of time.”

The next Economic Action Group meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to noon June 16 at the Youngstown Business Incubator conference room, 241 W. Federal St.