Electrical malfunction shutters Oakhill building today

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County’s Oakhill Renaissance Place office complex was to be closed all day today due to a power failure due to an electrical malfunction.

The fire department responded to an automatic alarm at 3:30 a.m. from the former hospital, which had smoke in its basement, a sheriff’s deputy said.

County officials had hoped to open the building at 10 a.m., but gave up on that idea and sent county employees home at 9 a.m., the deputy said.

As of 10:30 a.m. one of several Tri-Area Electric Co. workers at Oakhill’s outdoor substation at the north end of the building said the electrical crew was awaiting delivery of a fuse.

Visitors to the complex were greeted by a nearly empty parking area and signs on the building’s doors that read “Closed due to power outage.”

Only generator-powered emergency lights were in service.

Phone calls to the county’s Department of Job and Family Services and its Child Support Enforcement Agency were met with a busy signal.

There were no injuries.

Head Start canceled today’s sessions for children due to the power failure, but teachers were inside the darkened freestanding building Head Start occupies.

Oakill is the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center the county bought in bankruptcy court in 2007. It was built in stages between 1910 and 1972.

Besides JFS and CSEA, Oakhill houses the county’s auto title department, board of elections, coroner’s office and veterans’ service commission.

The city health department also is a tenant at Oakhill.