Visions of Lowellville’s future dreamed up by YSU marketing students

December 11, 2018 at 7:21p.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Mayor James Iudiciani of Lowellville hopes to sell young adults on a new vision of Lowellville by having them sell a new vision of Lowellville to him.

Tuesday evening, 12 Youngstown State University seniors in the marketing program presented their capstone projects to Iudiciani and a group of business professionals and village officials at the Williamson College of Business Administration.

The goal of their capstone project was to develop a marketing strategy for the village of Lowellville and then present their plans to the mayor.

The re-branding of the village isn’t a hypothetical dreamed up for the sake of the class; the village, with Jeff Glavan of the Glavan group, developed a comprehensive plan for the future that calls for the development of Lowellville’s riverside properties, the creation of a kayak and canoe livery on the Mahoning River and a focus on attracting college students and young professionals.

Under the tutelage of Bruce Keillor, YSU marketing department chairman, the students researched the village, identified its current limitations and drew up plans for capitalizing on the potential for new businesses and unique attractions that could bring a fresh crop of visitors.

“It’s easy to sell a package product. If I brought a can of pop in here, there’s a certain intuitiveness to marketing a can of pop,” Keillor said. “You don’t have that with a destination. It requires more creativity. They did a really good job.”

The students’ presentations included ideas for attracting tourists — festivals, bike races, rooftop bars and even a small amusement park — and more general upgrades, such as the construction of a gas station, implementation of new lighting and paving space for additional parking.