Y'town council approves sale of dining hall, loan to filmmakers

YOUNGSTOWN

City council approved the sale of the former St. Vincent DePaul Society dining hall to a company that wants to turn it and an attached closed cigar store into a restaurant and bar near the proposed Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater site.

The $79,000 purchase of the building at 208 W. Front St. to Winner Group Holdings Ltd. of Youngstown is subject to approval by the board of control before it can be finalized. Council authorized the board Wednesday to enter into an agreement to sell the structure to Winner.

Winner also owns the old cigar store, which shares a common wall with the dining hall building.

Earl Winner, who heads Winner Group, said he plans to start work on the restaurant and bar in March 2018 and have it open by late summer or fall 2018.

Winner also owns the Utopia Video Nightclub and the New Brickhouse Tavern, both on East Midlothian Boulevard.

Council also voted to have the board of control lend up to $2.5 million to Roadkill McGillicutty LLC of Canfield, which is seeking to film a movie in Youngstown, and approved a resolution objecting to the renewal of liquor permits for three businesses and honored retiring council President Charles Sammarone, Judge Robert Milich, and outgoing Mayor John A. McNally and Bozanich.

Read more about the meeting in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.