Neighborhoods

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

On Tuesday, March 13, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team Cedar 4 arrived in Youngstown to complete neighborhood improvement projects with YNDC.

The team is composed of Team Leader Jhanelle Mullings, Maya Giddings, Khalil Hood, Jacie Herring, Andrea Ortiz, Matt Scrivano, Tyler Stamm, and Angelica Torneten. The team will be boarding up vacant homes across the city, completing corridor improvement projects and cleaning out vacant homes in preparation for property revitalization. FIGHT BLIGHT.

An $850,000 grant is being handed to Youngstown’s Sixth Ward to fight crime. However, some questions were raised about whether the police will be able to handle the extra workload the grant requires.

The money coming from the U.S. Department of Justice would be used to clean up ten square blocks and provide them with extra police patrols.

The grant’s main focus will be to reduce crime in targeted areas of the Sixth Ward, including Market Street and South Avenue. Police will also increase patrols around Taft Elementary and Cottage Grove.

“So much of it does have an impact in my area, in my ward,” Councilwoman Anita Davis said.

Of the $850,000, $250,000 will go to the Youngstown Police Department for covering patrols. Youngstown State will get $123,000 to collect the data for crime and prevention in the Sixth Ward.

“Generating the information so they know where to target,” Davis said.

An undefined amount of money will also be used to improve various homes and businesses in the city.

“Lighting, locks, perhaps security cameras, so folks can monitor,” Davis said.

The grant is not without its problems, though. Police Chief Robin Lees said staffing these extra patrols could be difficult. To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

Thursday, March 15, 2018

On Wednesday, March 14, twenty-six neighbors and community stakeholders toured 454 Madera Avenue to see renovations YNDC made to the Crandall Park Neighborhood home.

The Open House gave community members a chance to preview the 4 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom North Side home before it is listed for sale for $90,000 in the coming week.  

Thursday, March 15, 2018

On Thursday, March 15, YNDC Executive Director Ian Beniston and Matt Martin, Executive Director of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, were honored as recipients of the William G. Lyden, Jr. Spirit of the Valley Award.

Both Beniston and Martin thanked and credited their staff for the success of the organizations. The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman to celebrate recent successes and look ahead to the year's possibilities. Other award recipients included Gary Soukenik of Seven Seventeen Credit Union with the Donald Cagigas Spirit of the Chamber Award and Ohio EPA Director Craig Butler with the Chairman's Political Achievement Award. Congratulations to both Ian and Matt on this honor!

This year, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber celebrates its 25th anniversary.

At its annual meeting Thursday at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, the chamber discussed what was accomplished in 2017 and highlighted what’s to come during its anniversary year this year.

James Dignan, chamber president and CEO, discussed the TJX Companies Inc. project and the need for the community to support it. TJX wants to build a $160 million warehouse/distribution center on Ellsworth Bailey Road. The development would bring 1,000 jobs to the area. For the project to happen, however, two large pieces of land in the 290-acre development need to be rezoned from residential to industrial.

“This is the perfect location for their distribution facility,” Dignan said. “This is a business that wants to be a good neighbor. This is not a small deal. This is an opportunity for us. This project is important.”

The chamber noted in its annual report it assisted large local warehouse/distribution center, Anderson DuBose Co., also in Lordstown, expand its operations with a $13 million investment for entry into supplying bakery products to current and future customers. The expansion led to 30 new jobs and 194 retained jobs. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here.

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber touted its upcoming 25th anniversary this year at its annual meeting today to celebrate its 2017 accomplishments.

The chamber was formed in 1993.

Chamber President and CEO James Dignan encouraged guests at the annual meeting at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center to support this year's TJX Companies development project in Lordstown.

TJX wants to invest $160 million to build a HomeGoods distribution center where 1,000 will be employed.

"This is not a small deal," he said. "This is an opportunity for us. I ask you for your support." To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here.

Award recipients tell how they’re working to build the region and its business community.

To watch the full video from The Business Journal, click here. 

James Dignan urged people throughout the Mahoning and Shenango valleys Thursday to show their support for TJX Companies Inc. building a $165 million distribution center for its HomeGoods division in Lordstown – and to counter criticisms voiced by “disgruntled naysayers” earlier this week.

Once completed, it is expected to create about 1,000 jobs with an annual payroll of nearly $30 million, said chamber President and CEO Dignan, addressing the annual meeting of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber for the first time as its leader.

The chamber held the annual meeting at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, where it also marked the 25th anniversary of its formation from the merger of the chambers of commerce in Youngstown, Warren and Niles in 1993, and presented awards to four individuals and organizations. To read the full story from The Business Journal, click here. 

Monday, March 19, 2018

On Monday, March 19, YNDC received a $5,000 contribution from Shellpoint Partners, LLC.

The grant will benefit YNDC's general revitalization efforts. Thanks to Shellpoint Partners, LLC for their generous support!

Monday, March 19, 2018

On Saturday, March 17, volunteers
helped to clean up vacant homes on Winona Drive and Volney Road at the Idora
Neighborhood Volunteer Workday.

Thirty volunteers from AmeriCorps NCCC,
AmeriCorps College Guides, Hope for Renewal/Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian
Church, and Hope Springs Academy helped to remove 30 cubic yards of debris, 25
cubic yards of brush, and 30 illegally dumped tires. Volunteers also scraped 47
linear feet of sidewalk. Thanks to everyone who participated and helped to
fight blight in the Idora Neighborhood!