Neighborhoods

Lena Esmail cut the ribbon to what she said she believes is the “most impactful” QuickMed location Wednesday afternoon.

The celebration marked the opening of the 10th QuickMed Urgent Care facility.

Esmail, CEO of QuickMed and a nurse practitioner, said of all of the locations she has opened over the past four years, this one at 2915 Glenwood Ave. is extra significant.

After visiting with school districts and realizing need-based care could be sustainable if done correctly, Esmail decided to open an additional urgent care within the city limits amid the “health care desert.”

“For the community, we talk about our Valley and building in Youngstown,” she said. “We look at areas of health care and equity. When we look at Youngstown in general, we have the third highest population of children that are in poverty. What we know is poverty has a correlation with bad health.” 

One major goal for Esmail has been to tackle the issue of access – one main barrier for children in poverty.

“One thing we knew we could do to curve equity and care is to bring care to those who need it,” she said. “That’s why we decided to start here in the south side of Youngstown – knowing the demographic, the population and the need-based care.”

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

As development continues along the Glenwood Avenue corridor in Youngstown, a new Quickmed healthcare facility is now open.

CEO Lena Esmail said this is the corporation’s 10th stand-alone location to go along with 10 others operating inside local schools in the area, offering non-emergency services, especially for those living nearby who don’t have easy access to transportation.

“People can’t just hop in the car sometimes and head up to Boardman or head down to Liberty, so that means injuries, illnesses are getting delayed or not getting treated at all,” Esmail said.

Directors say they realized that with no immediate or urgent care facilities operating inside city limits, more people were forced to emergency rooms for non-emergency medical issues.

“If they go to emergency, they have to wait a while, and if they don’t have transportation, that makes it even harder,” said Marguerite Douglas, a Youngstown resident.

While this location will eventually be open seven days a week, Esmail said work continues to open new locations in downtown Youngstown — inside the old Silver’s Vogue Shop — and in Salem.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

Thursday, January 12, 2023. 

YNDC is proud to announce the publishing of its 2022 annual report!

The annual report highlights the work of YNDC over the past 12 months.

An electronic copy can be downloaded below.

City businesses will be able to apply for loans and facade grants funded by American Rescue Plan funds starting next week, a city official said Thursday following city approval of the two programs.

The city’s Board of Control – which is made up of Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, Law Director Jeff Limbian and Finance Director Kyle Miasek – approved entering into professional services agreements with Valley Partners in Liberty Township to administer the $2 million revolving loan fund program and $1 million façade grant program for the city. 

The two programs will launch Tuesday, Nikki Posterli, Brown’s chief of staff and director of the city’s department of community planning and economic development, said.

The revolving loan program will help small businesses, many of which might not have had a previous banking relationship and are unable to go to a traditional commercial lender, Brown said.

“This is a great opportunity for us,” he said. “It’s our job to either kick [the business off] or take it across the goal.”

The new façade program, which will be available for businesses throughout the city, will provide a tool for existing businesses to upgrade or help encourage new ones to come into or start in the city, he added.

The programs represented more than half of the nearly $3.6 million in spending from Youngstown’s $82.7 million American Rescue Plan allocation approved during the Thursday morning meeting. The board approved $140,000 for Building Neighborhoods of Youngstown to provide roof and house repairs in the 3rd Ward, $300,000 for the 5th Ward allocation for the Western Reserve Port Authority to administer the Mahoning Avenue Redevelopment Project, and $146,222 for Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation to provide professional services and to hire a quality of life ambassador for the 7th Ward.

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

Local residents ended 2022 on a giving note as they supported the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley’s month-long Giving Tuesday And Beyond campaign, leading to more than $80,000 being donated to area nonprofits. 

Between Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29 and the end of the year, donors gave $31,560.97 to agency funds housed at the Community Foundation, while the foundation committed an additional $50,000 to match gifts, up to $2,000 per fund. After the end of the campaign, the remaining money in the pool was divided evenly between the 18 agency funds that received at least one donation – no matter how big or small the gift was.

“We are in awe of and incredibly thankful for the support this community has shown to nonprofits,” says Shari Harrell, president of the Community Foundation. “Agency funds exist to provide nonprofits with long-term stability and these gifts help ensure that organizations can continue their mission well into the future.”

The agency funds that received gifts during the Giving Tuesday And Beyond campaign were:

• Angels for Animals Endowment Fund
• Beatitude House Endowment Fund
• Easter Seals Building Tomorrow Fund
• Interfaith Home Maintenance Service Fund (Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.)

Youngstown to spend $3.6M. The city’s board of control approved contracts to spend $3,586,222 in American Rescue Plan funding that previously was authorized by city council. 

Approval by the board — consisting of Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, Law Director Jeff Limbian and Finance Director Kyle Miasek — is needed for ARP funding after council votes in favor of it.

The board unanimously approved five ARP spending allocations Thursday.

Two items, sponsored by Brown in council chambers, cost $3 million in total.

One is a $2 million revolving loan to help small businesses “grow and generate new employment opportunities,” according to the board. Its focus is on small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that are having trouble acquiring funds from traditional lending institutions, Nikki Posterli, the mayor’s chief of staff and director of community planning and economic development said.

The maximum loan amount per business is $150,000 with the loan terms of at least five years.

The $1 million business facade program would provide up to $20,000 to each commercial property to pay for the cost of exterior improvements. Each year the business remains open in its location, 20 percent of the loan is forgiven so after five years it is converted into a grant, Posterli said.

Both programs are being administered by Valley Partners, which focuses on assisting small businesses in the Mahoning Valley.

Applications for the programs will be accepted starting Tuesday. Information on the application process will be available at youngstownohio.gov/business_services.

The three other ARP programs were sponsored at council meetings by council members.

Council voted last April to give $2 million in ARP funding to each of its seven members to spend in the wards.

The largest amount approved Thursday by the board was $300,000 from Lauren McNally, the former 5th Ward councilwoman who resigned to serve in the Ohio House.

The money is for the Western Reserve Port Authority to “administer the Mahoning Avenue redevelopment project to provide acquisition of vacant lots, abandoned buildings, rehabilitation, renovation, remediation, greening and cleanup” of that West Side corridor, according to the board’s agenda.

A previous $200,000 request by Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, for the same efforts along Mahoning Avenue was approved.

Also, the board approved spending $146,222 to have the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. hire a quality of life and property maintenance ambassador for the 7th Ward, which was sponsored by Basia Adamczak, that ward’s councilwoman.

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

Monday, January 16, 2023. 

The Pie Oh My Dessert Shop is a spot where you can get pies and many other desserts.

The shop operates as a sweets cooperative and carries a wide selection of confections, including pies, cookies, cake pops, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, buckeyes, gourmet rice krispies treats, and popcorn. Jenny Kuczek partnered with experienced local bakers to provide a central storefront for all of their unique baked goods.

Visitors will find different themed treats for different holidays, with Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter coming up soon. For Valentine’s Day, in addition to her usual inventory she will also feature chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered cherries, chocolate covered pretzels, buckeyes, and a special strawberry Irish Cream fudge. She absolutely loves being part of the neighborhood and is happy that so many local neighbors have already stopped by to check out the shop and welcome her.

Jenny tries to carry something at all different price points. She also can connect you with any of her local bakers if you need a special order, such as wedding cookies, or a special treat for a school party. Right now, her hours are Friday 1-5pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm, and she stays open until she runs out of sweets. She plans to expand her hours in the spring as the demand for her sweet treats grows. The shop can be reached at 330-518-4064, or stop in during regular business hours.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023. 

YNDC has completed the renovation of 3711 Glenwood Avenue.

The historic fourplex, constructed in 1926, has been vacant for nearly twenty years. YNDC acquired the property in winter 2022 and has completed the renovation. The building has four one-bedroom apartment units that are for rent for $600 per month. 

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3711 Glenwood Ave. to celebrate the completion of its renovation.

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

Once covered in vines and left to deteriorate, a four-unit apartment building at 3711 Glenwood Ave. is the latest renovation project of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

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