Neighborhoods

Thursday, June 17, 2021

On Wednesday, June 16, Youngstown City Council passed legislation to expand the city’s Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) citywide as outlined in Youngstown’s Housing Conditions Analysis and Strategy to Improve Housing Conditions adopted in March 2021. 

A CRA allows for property tax abatements for homeowners who make major improvements to their property and for developers who build new housing units or renovate existing ones. The purpose of the CRA is to encourage the stabilization and revitalization of neighborhoods through temporary abatements of property tax increases for improvements in eligible areas. 
Expanding the CRA citywide along with other strategies will encourage investment in Youngstown’s housing stock and increase overall housing quality. Big thanks to Mayor Brown, Youngstown City Council, and Youngstown’s Community Planning and Economic Development Department for this important action step. The next step in the process is to submit the necessary documentation to the State of Ohio.

More information on the CRA expansion can be found in the PDF for download below.

Youngstown council agreed to permit the city to purchase a property for $1 from Mill Creek MetroParks and turn it over to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. for renovation.

Council voted 7-0 Wednesday to obtain the title to 900 Old Furnace Road, which was the longtime home of the Mill Creek superintendent until about 20 years ago.

YNDC plans to renovate the property, Tiffany Sokol, its housing director, said.

“We’re still looking to see the best use,” she said. “We want to do right by the community and we’re taking our time with the property.”

The park system has used the property for storage and office space in the past.

To see the full story from The Vindicator, click here.

Monday, June 21, 2021

On June 15, 2021, the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley awarded a $107,221 grant to YNDC for the Glenwood Fresh Market (Market).

The Market will be located in a storefront at YNDC’s plaza at 2915 Glenwood Avenue and will provide year-round access to free fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food items for low-income residents. The Market will also provide space for cooking demonstrations, nutrition education, and health screenings. Big thanks to the Mercy Health Foundation for the support of this project and ongoing support of healthy food access! Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.

About a year before she was born, Lana Shagrin Oyer’s dad welcomed another baby into the world: the Foster Theatre. 

Joe Shagrin opened Youngstown’s first neighborhood theater in 1938 “on a Christmas night to a packed house,” Esther Hamilton wrote in the Youngstown Vindicator in 1955.  

He and his associates reportedly spent $100,000 to build the playhouse at 2504 Glenwood Ave. Now, 82 years later, the dilapidated remnant of a once-prosperous Fosterville was sold for $99,999.

The iconic theater — which until the pandemic showed pornographic films and has fallen into disrepair — will get a second (or perhaps third) life with reinvestment from the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Karen has lived in her home for over 17 Years. The roof on her home was severely leaking, causing damage throughout her home.

Due to health challenges, getting the work done on her own did not seem like a possibility. By replacing Karen’s roof, YNDC eliminated the roof leaks and prevented further damage to her home. “Anything is a challenge, you know financially when you are on a fixed income. It was hard to believe they even had a program like this, I think it is wonderful,” Karen said.

Alex Viglio is the Housing Counselor for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Alex implements financial empowerment programming, including outreach, intake, scheduling, file management, counseling of clients, and reporting.

Contact Alex at aviglio@yndc.org. 

Monday, June 28, 2021

On Monday, June 21, the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley awarded a $10,000 grant to YNDC for the renovation of 2915 Glenwood Avenue.

The funds will be used to renovate the vacant retail plaza into a modern retail facility with multiple units for neighborhood serving businesses. This project is part of ongoing efforts to improve the greater Glenwood Avenue corridor. Big thank you to the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley for the support!

Monday, June 28, 2021

On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society presented a Community Revitalization Award to YNDC for the renovation of 1810 Volney Road at its 146th Annual Meeting at the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center.

 
The property is often referred to as "The Monastery" because of its strong association for decades as a Carmelite monastery and worship center. The structure's original use was a single-family home built by Emery McKelvey in 1927. Upon acquisition, YNDC staff engaged Faniro Architects to develop three, market-rate apartments and a Neighborhood Action Center for public gatherings. 
Many thanks to MVHS for honoring our team with the Community Revitalization Award!

Monday, June 28, 2021

YNDC has received a Dominion Community Impact Award with a $10,000 prize for the results of its Roof Replacement program from July 2019 to November 2020.

During that time, YNDC replaced roofs for 148 low-income homeowners throughout the city, representing $1,104,743 in housing reinvestment that benefited not only the families immediately served, but the market strength and reinvestment potential of the surrounding neighborhoods. YNDC has operated home repair and roof replacement programs in Youngstown since 2012 and has been working to expand the number of homeowners served each year in order to better meet community needs. Many thanks to the Dominion Foundation!

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

On June 4, 2021, Elliot and Christine Legow provided a $3,000 donation to support YNDC’s emergency repair program.

The funds will be used for the emergency home repair program to assist residents of owner-occupied, single family homes with emergency repairs such as furnace and plumbing repairs at NO COST. Big thanks to Elliot and Christine Legow!