Neighborhoods

In response to a five-year community health survey that showed nearly one-third of adults in Mahoning County are considered inactive and overweight or obese, improvements are coming to an east side park to promote physical activity.

Ground will be broken Thursday afternoon on the first phase of the Lincoln Knolls Community Park, which is on Maranatha Drive near the Campbell border. Residents from the Lincoln Knolls Community Watch have been working closely with the city of Youngstown, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC), and other community leaders to develop a plan and generate support to upgrade the amenities and condition of Lincoln Knolls Community Park.

To read the full story from the Tribune Chronicle, click here. 

 Over the weekend, about 30 members of the Youngstown Housing Task Force protested outside of homes owned by who they call negligent landlords.

Ultimately, task force members did not get what they wanted.

They spent about 45 minutes each outside the homes in Poland, Boardman, Campbell and Youngstown.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is celebrating the completion of renovations to a historic three-unit apartment building.

The building was constructed in 1910. Three units are now available for rent.

To see the full story from WYTV, click here. 

A new look for an old house was introduced Wednesday evening to the Handel’s neighborhood on Youngstown’s south side.

A renovated apartment, built in 1911, was unveiled by the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here. 

A newly formed group called Youngstown Tenants Council is looking to educate and empower residents in the city.

The group says that one of those ways is by properly renting a home.

To see the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

Thursday, July 18, 2019

On Wednesday, July 17, YNDC, neighbors, and partners held a ribbon cutting to mark the completion of the renovation of a historic three unit apartment building constructed in 1910.

The building was available for tours and neighbors and partners shared ice cream.

The renovation of this historic apartment building is the latest development along Helena Avenue. YNDC, neighbors, and partners are renovating vacant homes, constructing three new homes, assisting existing homeowners, and working with neighbors and the City of Youngstown to improve the overall housing quality on the street. REVITALIZE. 

It was a project years in the making, but in just a few short weeks, children and adults alike will have a new playground to use in the Lincoln Knolls neighborhood on the east side of Youngstown.

“At every block party, I asked what people wanted to see in the community and they said something for the kids. Each year, that was the No. 1 thing they wanted,” said Marguerite Douglas, a member of the Lincoln Knolls Block Watch. “We did a survey and met with adults and kids. I talked with all ages, children and youth, that filled out these surveys. We wanted to know what they wanted on this playground, not just the adults.”

Douglas is also a board member for the Healthy Community Partnership-Mahoning Valley, a collaborative effort aimed at improving health outcomes in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Through the partnership, the community group was able to coordinate funds and expertise for Lincoln Knolls Community Park, situated on a parcel between Lincoln Square Apartments and Danridge’s Burgundi Manor on Maranatha Drive. A groundbreaking for the playground was held Thursday afternoon.

“If you have more opportunities for residents to be physically active and present more opportunities to eat healthier, those two things can address all sorts of health outcomes that we know Mahoning and Trumbull county residents suffer from, such as diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases,” said Sarah Lowry, director of the Healthy Community Partnership.

The playground, slated to open August 15, features the standard play sets and slides, but will also have exercise equipment. Additions such as a splash pad are being discussed, but any definitive plans are still far off, Douglas said.

Among the partners in getting the playground ready for local residents were the city of Youngstown, Mahoning County Land Bank, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Midstates Recreation of New Albany, which designed the park. For many residents of the Lincoln Knolls neighborhood, including block watch president Ethel Hughey, the park is a sign of what can happen when a community works together. 

To read the full story from the Business Journal, click here. 

An east side Youngstown neighborhood that’s never had its own park now has a place where children can play and adults can exercise.

It’ll be known as the Lincoln Knolls Community Park, complete with playground and exercise equipment.

People who live in this neighborhood dedicated the area Thursday afternoon.

The park was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

The Lincoln Knolls neighborhood has been void of a park ever since it went up shortly after World War II.

“This project will provide amenities for youth, as well as adults, with the installation of the playground equipment, exercise equipment, basketball court upgrade, benches, boulder retaining wall to mitigate flooding at the basketball court, a beautification landscaping to enhance the park environment. Our future plans are to build a pavilion and have a splash pad,” Marguerite Douglas said.

“This is important for our community,” said Second Ward Councilman T.J. Rodgers. “It’s important for people to have things that they can take pride in.”

One of the organizations that also helped make this happen is the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, which was involved in the rededication of a redeveloped apartment building in the Handel’s neighborhood.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here. 

The Lincoln Knolls Community broke ground on a new park today. 

Residents led the project, and they're thrilled to have a new park in the area because it's going to bring a healthy lifestyle to the people of their community.

Marguerite Douglas, VP of Lincoln Knolls Community Watch, says that they believe in a healthy lifestyle. 

"Because we believe in physical fitness and again it's about healthy physical activity, so we know that the children, as well as youth and adults, will utilize this exercise equipment. We know that everyone will benefit from this playground," says Douglas. 

This is the first phase of a project that has been years in the making. 

The Lincoln Knolls Community Watch is working closely with the city of Youngstown, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, and other community leaders to develop a plan and help upgrade the amenities and conditions of Lincoln Knolls Community Park. 

To see the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

City planners in Youngstown have made it clear — their focus is saving neighborhoods that can still be saved by spending money to keep them viable before they get to the point where they’re beyond help.

Two of those neighborhoods are Handel’s and Lincoln Knolls.

The Lincoln Knolls neighborhood on Youngstown’s east side broke ground Thursday afternoon for a new park.

Wednesday night, in the south side Handel’s neighborhood, several posed for a picture at a renovated triplex.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation was part of both projects in what Executive Director Ian Beniston called “middle neighborhoods” — ones that are showing stress but aren’t loaded with vacant properties.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here.