'An Idora Revival'

It's not the neighborhood in which Ruby Yates raised her children or sent them down the block to the amusement park, but there's a lot of promise afoot for Idora, a small Youngstown neighborhood that some would call the west end of Fosterville. A great Vindicator article highlights the renewal occurring in the this area. It is worth checking out here: http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/dec/02/an-idora-revival/

Some great lines:

• “Our goal is to transform vulnerable, undervalued and transitional neighborhoods to healthy neighborhoods of choice,” - Presley Gillespie, director of YNDC
• “Now neighbors on opposite ends of the street know each other and are talking. It seems to feel as if the neighborhood is getting its future back.” - Ian Beniston, policy director at MVOC

Just some of the great, exciting things happening in Youngstown.

link: http://idoraneighborhoodassociation.weebly.com/ (Idora Neighborhood Association)

New leaders, new business, and a new way of getting things done.

The Youngstown of 2007 does not resemble the Youngstown of year's past. In the last several years, three decades of complacency and failed action have been countered with sweeping changes which have resulted in Youngstown turning from a rusting dead city into one with future and promise. These changes come as the result of people of action, tired of waiting for someone to make the first move.

In 1977, as the reality of Black Monday set in, just at the time that far-away company presidents and board chairman began spending overseas the profits made in Youngstown, efforts to fix a broken town were stymied, would falter, or just plain fail. Our few working class heroes such as the late Bishop James Malone or Staughton Lynd labored to prevent the closing of the steel mills in the Valley. Their efforts were noteworthy, even valiant, but could not stop the loss of jobs and urban decay that the next thirty years would enough. Unfortunately for Youngstown, their moral authority wasn't near enough.

It is not hard to see that while some of Youngstown's political leaders of the 70's, 80's and 90's were both honest and hardworking, there were those individuals who still saw a struggling community as their playground – their place to bask in the sun and line their pockets. A congressman, judges, attorneys, county sheriffs and others in authority helped keep the Valley in the throes of recession and their shadow still haunts. But that is merely a chapter in the tale of this city and certainly not the end of the story. It is yet to be written.

While Youngstown has a long way to go to overcome the legacy of Black Monday, there are things happening in this Valley that we only dreamed of a few short years ago. We have a resurgent downtown with a new arena, new restaurants and clubs, a thriving technology incubator, new traffic patterns, and a group of professionals ready to take this city into the future. Three of these people have a unique perspective as leaders in the economic and social fight in which the city is engaged. This is the redevelopment of Youngstown through their eyes.

Jay Williams, Standard Bearer
A work in progress. It defines not just this city today, but a way in which to see it's future. The mayor of Youngstown has been at the center of the revolution in Youngstown long before he succeeded George McKelvey as this city's 47th mayor. As the city's director of economic development, he laid the groundwork for the Youngstown 2010 plan and continued that leadership as mayor.

And that plan doesn't end in 2010. Williams sees the Youngstown 2010 plan merely as a stepping stone into the future and something the city needs to continue to evolve. He only half jokes when he says that city leaders have done such a good job marketing Youngstown 2010 that pushing Youngstown 2020 is that much more difficult.

Regardless in the name of the plan the success of Youngstown, Williams said, is the transformation of attitudes within the city residents, especially the younger generations, who have lost the wait-and-see mentality to become a people of action.

"There has been a change in focus towards where the younger generation has been looking." With younger leaders such as Williams, state senator John Boccieri, and others now in office, this generation has a larger voice to get their message across.

To the naysayers, who don't see the progress in a redeveloping Youngstown, Williams argues, "look at any other area across the country and see how the condition of that central city has around the surrounding area." Youngstown as the core city and surrounding area, rise and fall together.

Allen Hunter, Innovation Ecologist
When it comes down to it, YSU chemistry professor Allen Hunter believes economic development in Youngstown is about the people.

“We’ve got a great framework, but we need to get more people at the ground level interacting,” says Hunter. That’s exactly what he tries to do while working with local business leaders to create the ideas of today that become tomorrow’s business models.

Hunter has been actively involved in projects throughout Youngstown emphasizing workforce development and expanding grant opportunities to local business in an attempt, he states, to expand Youngstown ‘innovation ecology.’

Innovation ecology, a term Hunter coined, is individuals and companies bringing their experiences and innovations together to create a sustainable marketplace. Hunter believes that is a realistic goal but is a point that Youngstown has not yet reached.

Hunter took his experience writing grants in the science field and, with the help of several colleagues, developed CEATIS Consulting, which has proven to be a successful tool in tapping into the state and federal funds which otherwise were not reaching the Mahoning Valley. This money allows for further research and development, provides workforce training, and funds other human services within the area.

Hunter’s goal is to just make the Youngstown area a better place to live, something he echoes each time he speaks on economic development by challenging his audience to ask themselves, “What have you done this week to make this better?"

Sarah Lown, Bridge Builder
Revitalizing the land which yesterday was a steel mill and is today a brownfield is just one of the many tasks which lay before Sarah Lown.

Lown, as the Director of Economic Development for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, is responsible for facilitating the process by which area leaders can plan for transportation, economic development or environmental improvements.

Within Eastgate, Lown’s goal is to identify projects that would successfully be funded through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (US EDA). One of her most recent projects is the construction of the Walton Avenue Bridge in 2005. That project gave access to 800 acres of brownfields in Youngstown, Campbell and Struthers to enable new development to occur.

For the past several years, Lown has concentrated her efforts on revitalizing former industrial areas --brownfields-- along the Mahoning River corridor, which is the heart and soul of the Valley. She is also the current president of the Mahoning River Consortium, which is working to clean up the River and the land along its banks.

Lown grew up in New England and moved to Youngstown 15 years ago. Two things helped revitalize the New England town she grew up in.

“What I saw work was two things: artists, who saw the beauty of the New England landscape and its low cost historic homes, and industrial consortia to attract economic growth. Revitalization has to take place on many fronts like that in order to be sustainable and attractive to new investment.”

And what should the next step be for Youngstown? Lown believes there needs to be a continued effort to clean up the corridors going in and out of town which removes a tremendous psychological barrier to new investment. Further, and perhaps more importantly, a renewed emphasis on regionalism, more closely tying Youngstown, its suburbs and the surrounding areas together, perhaps in order to create the innovation ecology for which we should be striving.

Demolishing Our Way Toward Tomorrow

I found another article on our shrinking city worth reading. MuniNetGuide describes Youngstown as a mini-metropolis, but it includes a magnificant history of where we are and how we got there, going back to the steel era lost 30 years ago.

“Maybe Bruce Springsteen will have to write some new lyrics to his song.”

The "Pro-Yo" movement getting some street cred

The Vindicator has a great story today which seems to blend a lot of things including the blog movement in the city, the "youth movement" centered around such groups as Mahoning Valley Professional 20/30 Club and Phil Kidd's "Thinkers and Drinkers."

The entire emphasis, however, is the fact that people are finally involved in the City. You have bloggers, activists, politicians, developers, young professionals, and retirees all talking about the future of the City. We are a part of the process, which couldn't be claimed five years ago. Then the City was ruled by people closed off to new ideas and were in fact leading this city down a path that wouldn't promote development or change. In my opinion, former city leaders were just using their position as a stepping stone to something else, including a seat at a White House dinner.

We have a mayor who is engaged and engaging (as evident by his own blog - see my links). We have a congressman who grew up in a post-steel Valley and understand the hardships this area truly faces. Lastly, we have an energetic group of young residents who don't want to move out of the city and instead want to leave their mark on the place. It's a beautiful thing to see and I encourage you to get involved.

The link: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/289592890514565.php

Be there or be square!

TODAY! Today! today!

The city will be discussing plans for the "redevelopment" of West Federal Street this afternoon. This plan includes removing the medians and changing the current parking arrangement. I encourage all to attend this meeting and voice your support that green space and not more concrete is the way to improve the Federal Street corridor.

Info:
Monday, August 6, 2007, 3:00 pm, at City Council Chambers, 6th Floor, City Hall, 26 S. Phelps St., Youngstown, Ohio.

I have no idea how this video ended up in my gmail inbox, or who Mark and Betty Duncan are, but they apparently made it. I present Charles Montgomery Burns in "Downtown Denial!"

Riassetto del territorio di Youngstown

The Voice of America is now on the bandwagon as a media outlet covering Youngstown. The Federal government's external media arm, sending its signal to countless countries in 45 different languages, discussed our shrinking city plan. Check out the link below for the story or download the audio.

Story

MP3 audio

Meet the Bloggers

I had the opportunity this weekend to chat with two of my fellow Youngstown bloggers, which is always a good time. I had the honor of meeting Phil Kidd on Friday at Bean Counter's Jazz Festival (more on that event later). We spent a brief time discussing the future of Downtown and where he is going with the new Defend Youngstown shirts. I won't spoil it for him but he has some great designs coming out.

I also spent Saturday night at the Draught House talking with Pat Manning, otherwise known as Mighty Mahoning. This meeting was less by chance as we have been old North Side friends for years, both spent time at St. Ed's and have diplomas from The Academy (known to most as Ursuline). Pat is actually getting ready to move back to Youngstown after a few years in the burbs of Cleveland.

In general, it is great to talk to people who share the same vision for Youngstown that you have. Personally, it makes me appreciate what a few people can do. When I started this blog in 2004, I was I believe the first person to regularly blog about Youngstown and now there are at least a dozen solid Youngstown blogs focused on its history and redevelopment.

Anyway, if you had the opportunity to make it downtown last night (Friday), you were in for quite a treat at the Bean Counter's Jazz Festival and wine tasting. I arrived late and missed the wine tasting but was able to hang out with hundreds of people enjoying great music, wine and beer. The music was a mix of classic jazz with soul and even classic rock. A cover of The Ohio Player's Fire was a personal favorite.

After chatting with Phil, we both remarked how great Downtown is for events like this. The wide open spaces and ample parking make it very conducive for gathering large groups of people together. The success of this event and others such as Party on the Plaza is a testament to that. If you are able to, I encourage you to make it down for next year's event. I will be sure to get some advanced notice out there on this and other Downtown events in the future.

NPR gets onboard

NPR's Morning Edition finally ran the piece this morning which they have been sitting on for two weeks. It was retooled a bit to also highlight today's John Edwards visit.

The tagline: Youngstown, Ohio, a former steel town an hour west of Pittsburgh, is getting ready to spend millions of tax dollars to shrink. It's a fairly radical plan, but one that Youngstown's mayor says is the best way to bring his struggling city back to economic health.

The audio is available here.

I guarantee you will see a lot of hope in Youngstown residents by listening to the story. There are excited people out there who really want to see the redevelopment of Youngstown through the 2010 plan. NPR is the latest in a string of media who are just helping us promote it. Last week was the AP story which ran, according to my count, in at least 78 papers or online editions. The possible audience within cities just like Youngstown is huge. I am excited to finally see Youngstown as part of progressive development, even if it means scaling back. Bigger doesn't always mean better and I think people outside the politicians and urban planners are starting to see that.

Miltonia Ave. on Youngstown's East Side, one focus of the story. Notice the lack of homes? Another case of planned development which never happened.

The Youngstown River Walk

Imagine a lazy flowing river with great shops and restaurants with crowds that show this place to be a true destination. I happened to be in San Antonio a few weeks ago for work and was amazed by the River Walk. For those who have never been to San Antonio before or heard of the River Walk, the San Antonio River winds it way through downtown San Antonio and along its banks are a string of restaurants, small shops and tourist attractions, all within blocks of the Alamo. Youngstown doesn't have the Alamo (although several of our residents have made last stands against the YPD) but we do have a great river winding its way along several major roads near downtown.

There was some talk of a Youngstown River Walk a few years ago if I recall, tied in with the Mahoning Commons development (What is up with that project, by the way?). If it wasn't specific talk, there were examples where an attempt was made at starting in that direction. The B&O Restaurant and Anthony's-on-the-River had a good thing going for a while. The missing component to tie them together was the actual river walk. There is no easy way for people to walk along the banks of the Mahoning River.

Imagine having dinner at Anthony's and then taking a nice stroll on a summer's night heading towards the Chevy Centre and taking in a show. It sounds like a great idea to me, and I'm sure some of the other bloggers would agree. I'm not sure what influence I can have on such a project other than writing about it, since I am in fact 300 miles away, but this is certainly worthy of discussion once downtown gets the attention it needs.

I'm curious to see what others thing about this. It would be a great way to continue development of downtown and push it to the "Mahoning Commons" area.




Other cities, large and small, are trying River Walks as a way to expand their arts and entertainment districts. Check out these sites for more info:

• Panel OKs plans for river walk (Watertown, Wisconsin)
• Riverwalk Design Plans (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• Naperville River Walk (Naperville, Illinois)

"Look, you don't understand. There was shrinkage."

Another "shrinking city" article is out across the AP wire. This one takes the standard approach that shrinking your footprint can be effective means of "damage control" and revitalization for former industrial cities. The article doesn't really say anything new that hasn't been put out by similar articles in the past, but I felt that I would share it for those who might be interested.

The Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria): In Youngstown, acceptance is first battle

I chose that paper because their link came up first, but a Google News count shows 73 different papers, including Kiplinger and Forbes. Whether this story made it into the print editions is a different story...

Resistance is futile...

Phil Kidd, local hero, had a great editorial in yesterday's Vindicator. Check it out here: Those who resist change lessen potential of Valley

My sweet Jenny I'm sinking down...

West Federal Street may soon see even more redevelopment. Sweet Jenny Land Co. plans to invest $332,000 in renovating the John R. Davis building, next to the Draught House. The building has been vacant for more than 20 years. It plans to headquarter Ronald C. Faniro Architect Inc. on the building's second floor, renovating the third floor into a living-working quarters for one architect. The first floor may serve as retail space.

I love to see this type of creative use for space but my biggest question is whether Bruce Springsteen is working for this company...

Lack of qualified baristas hurts Youngstown

The results are in and Youngstown is looking better than it did a few years ago. "Cities Ranked & Rated" is a periodic publication by a by Wiley Publishing Inc. It ranks metropolitan areas based on variables related to economy, cost of living, climate, education, health and health care, crime, transportation, leisure and arts and culture. Youngstown's score wasn't that impressive, as 269th best place to live out of 373 areas, but it is an improvement from 2004 when we were 291st.

The survey doesn't really tell us anything we didn't already know. We have a great cost of living, decent transportation but a crappy economy. The two interesting things to come out of this survey include that Youngstown lost points in the leisure section because there are only three Starbucks Coffee locations in the area compared with the national average of 13 for a region. Was this survey done by Howard Schultz? Nevermind our impressive array of parks and minor league sports teams, we need our Half-caf Double Mochachinos with extra foam!

Secondly, and to my delight, Boardman was quoted as "an unremarkable middle-class suburb." I've been saying that for years.

Source: Valley climbs 22 spots on list of best metro areas

Thinking outside the Big Box

Not actually living in Youngstown anymore, I miss a lot, including this story by Janko over on his blog about the reuse of the abandoned big box grocery store at the corner of Market and Midlothian. After Phar-Mor died, several stores, including a Giant Eagle, all tried to make it. They all failed. This idea has promise. Read for more details...

Hot off the presses

The Wall Street Journal did a cover story in today's edition in Youngstown. I haven't even read it yet and will probably feature more on this article tomorrow. Check it out while it is still free for the next seven days at WSJ.com

Where have I been?

Sorry for going a few weeks without posts. I have been very busy traveling for work and with a few other things so this was placed on the back burner for a bit. I will have some good photo posts up in the next few days. Also, I know I promised YoungstownPride.com. Well, I own the domain and have the hosting servive but I need to transfer the domain. This will take a few days after I do it, which won't happen today. Be patient. Good things are to come.

I was able to get out and take some pictures of the new East High School which I thought I would share. These were taken on Friday, April 6 so I'm sure they have even shown improvement since then.

Paramount: Revisted

A UA student recently contacted me asking for information on the Paramount. She made the daunting trip inside and was able to snap these pictures. The level of decay is incredible and makes me wonder if the place can truly be saved. I suppose with a lot of money, anything is possible.





Check out the entire set at Flickr.

Attorney General to Open Office In Youngstown’s 20 Federal Place

From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The irony wasn’t lost on Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.

The first Trumbull County resident elected to statewide office was holding a news conference on the ground floor of 20 Federal Place – the building formerly named for Phar-Mor Inc., the drugstore chain whose bankruptcy 15 years ago followed what was then the largest corporate fraud in history. A space that came to symbolize corporate crime locally would soon house more than three dozen law enforcement officers, Dann announced.

The former state senator from Liberty said that he would move the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation’s 22-person staff for Boardman to the downtown building and add 16.

“Mickey Monus’ old offices, ironically,” remarked Jeffery L. Chagnot, city economic development director, referring to Phar-Mor’s founder.

“We’re trying to build a new future here,” Dann said, “and what better place to start than here?”

In addition to the BCI staff, the third-floor space at 20 Federal will house members of Dann’s newly formed predatory-lending task force, his office’s consumer protection staff and other positions being transferred from Columbus. The 38 positions will bring an additional $1.8 million in annual payroll to the city, he said.

The attorney general had invited Youngstown and Warren officials to submit proposals, with a preference for downtown sites, and the state Department of Administrative Services reviewed them. Dann wanted sites convenient to highways for law enforcement agencies transporting evidence to BCI and close to courthouses.

Price and proximity drove the decision in Youngstown’s favor. The state will pay $7,488 per month, including utilities, for 10,000 square feet, with another 12,000-square-feet available for expansion. The 22 BCI employees were “overstuffed” in the 4,000-square-foot offices in Boardman, and rent was scheduled to rise to $10 per foot, Dann said. In Columbus, the cheapest space would have been $15 per foot, he noted.

The attorney general admitted to being “a little heartbroken” that a site in Warren was not selected – his former district includes Trumbull County ¬ and he acknowledged the efforts of Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien and the Trumbull County commissioners.

“In the end, Youngstown was the best fit,” Dann said. However, he he is also looking for additional chances to move jobs to the region; and Warren could benefit later.

The new state lease will bring occupancy at 20 Federal to nearly 70%, Chagnot reported. The offices are to move downtown by July 1.

In his remarks, Mayor Jay Williams offered that Dann had quickly debunked two myths – one about the lofty promises politicians make when campaigning yet fail to keep once elected, the other about attorneys being talkers, not doers.

Dann said he is working to debunk one more myth – that the Mahoning Valley does not have a bright and vibrant future, a perception he is trying to change around the state and the country.

“This is a community on the rebound,” he declared. “We’re going to take advantage of that on behalf of the taxpayers of the state of Ohio.”

Copyright 2007 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.

NEW Youngstown

NEW Youngstown
by T.L. Mayle © 2005

No more dwelling on the past
That kind of mindset won’t last
They may have been the Glory Days
But now it’s time for a change

And I think you would agree
We’ve had our fill of apathy
Listen up, young and old
We have a future to behold

If you don’t see the potential
In the place you’re residential
You might have the blues and bummers
Listen, natives and newcomers:

There’s the Youngstown Symphony
And Funny Farm Comedy
The Monday Musical Club
The Youngstown Playhouse and pubs

We’re the home of Warner Brothers
(No, they didn’t come from Struthers)
We got Stambaugh, we got Powers
And long summer daylight hours

Gloomy winters we may curse,
But eleven states have got it worse!
We have affordable houses
And the schools aren’t overcrowded

There’s so much we take for granted
In the places that we’re planted
Spend the day at Mill Creek Park
The Butler Institute of Art

And if you happen to get lost
You can always play golf!
If you’re into thrills and speed
There’s Cedar Point in Sandusky

And just one hour away
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame
Or if your love is football
Check out Canton’s famous Hall

The country’s most affordable?
Youngstown – Warren - Boardman
The Top 100 places to live was just revealed
Number 82 on the list? Canfield!

No one can hold a candle
To the ice cream from Handels
And the fireworks we see
Are even better than DC’s

Phil Keaggy, Ray Mancini
Musicians, actors, athletes
Jim Tressel, Bernie Kosar
Ed O’Neill – our hometown stars

Seen the Penguins on the street?
YSU’s great football team?
And the Dana School of Music
No musician can refuse it

Been downtown for ‘First Night?’
Seen Federal Plaza’s tree lights?
Have you seen the gems and treasures
Of the business architecture?

And new buildings, even better
Like the Convocation Center
We might call ourselves progressive,
Optimistic and impressive!

We’ve got family, traditions,
Opportunity and vision
There’s still a little ways to go
And new leadership will show

That our bright future’s even nearer
So let go of the rear view mirror
Respect our history, but live here now
Let’s make our home a
New Youngstown!

Tracy Mayle wrote the poem several years ago when she was volunteering for Youngstown 2010. She read it at the Festival of the Arts downtown in July 2005 and it won 2nd place. I share with all...

The people that keep us going

While I haven't seen it yet, what sounds like a great exhibit opens today at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor entitled "Working Ohio/Working Youngstown" and features the photos and words of firefighers, steelworkers, lab technicians, and janitors, the working men and women of Northeast Ohio. The exhibit is sponsored by Center for Working-Class Studies and the journalism program at Youngstown State University.

The exhibit started as a journalism project in Assistant Professor Alyssa Lenhoff's advanced journalism class, where students were tasked with capturing the experience and perspective of workers. According to Dr. Sherry Linkon, Co-Director of the Center for Working-Class Studies, the exhibit is exciting because it brings students into the process of redevelopment within Northeast Ohio. Projects like this "engage our students in the community, and for journalism students, it helps them learn that "news" is not only about the most visible, important members of the community but about everyone," said Linkon.

Linkon hopes that the project can help all of us get a sense of how work is shaping the Mahoning Valley today. "After the mills closed and as the auto industry declines, our shared identity as a community of industrial workers has faded, and we don't know what to replace that with. People ask me all the time, "what do people do there now?""

Here's what we do: we teach school, we run medical tests, we staff retail stores, we make high-tech materials and dance clothes, we work in offices, and much more. We work, largely in the service industry, many in locally or regionally-owned small and mid-sized businesses. Many of us work multiple part-time jobs, while some are building careers in fields that go almost unnoticed."

In addition to student photos, the exhibit features the work of Cleveland-area photographer Steve Cagan. If you are interested, the show runs through May 4 and admission is free. If you can catch it, a reception and gallery talk will be held at 7 p.m. tonight.

View Steve's online gallery of images from the show here.