Mayor, YNDC award $150,000 for city’s REVITALIZE Youngstown program

YOUNGSTOWN

The city of Youngstown and the work of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation were recognized Wednesday during a ceremony celebrating a $150,000 grant awarded to the REVITALIZE Youngstown campaign.

The grant is awarded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to honor the best neighborhood stabilization efforts in the country. Youngstown is one of six cities that received the award.

The funds from the award were used by YNDC to acquire a commercial building at 2246 Glenwood Blvd. that they have renovated and re-opened as the Glenwood Business Center.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said the grant is an example of what can be accomplished when organizations work together, and thanked Wells Fargo for being a partner with the city for the award.

Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, said the group gained control of the building in July and that its first business tenant — Inspiring Minds, a free after-school program — had its first sessions this week.

Tiffany Sokol, YNDC’s housing director, led the renovation project at the building and said there was no lack of local applicants looking to secure business space at the location.

“It confirmed for us that there is a lack of quality commercial space available to small business owners in the city,” Sokol said. “We had far more inquiries than we had space.”