Neighborhoods

A major makeover is taking another step forward on Youngstown’s South Side.  Wednesday morning, the ground was broken on phase two of the Bernard Street Project. This is off Glenwood Avenue, just three blocks south of Interstate 680.  The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation has already built three new homes in the area, and now, crews are getting started on three more.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here.
 

What was recently a desolate, debris-strewn, deserted and neglected two-block street closed to traffic now represents what city leaders and many other stakeholders hope will be symbolic of the city’s continued regrowth and rebirth.  “I’m never getting tired of this — never, never,” Deb Flora, the Mahoning County Land Bank’s executive director, said. “This is the result of tenacity, the spirit of collaboration and hope.”

Flora was referring to the completion of the first phase and start of the second phase of the Bernard Street revitalization project, for which an outdoor news conference and groundbreaking ceremony took place Wednesday morning on the South Side road (recently renamed Cliff View Street) off Glenwood Avenue on the South Side.

The land bank, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and other project partners gathered to celebrate the completion of three homes on Cliff View Avenue and the start of three more to be constructed, all of which will be on the same side and have an elevated, bird’s-eye view of downtown Youngstown and beyond.

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

Organizations from both Mahoning and Trumbull Counties came together for a summit on greenspace at the Mill Creek Metroparks Farms on Thursday.  The summit was organized by The Healthy Community Partnership Mahoning Valley (HCP) and encouraged recreation professionals, community partners and elected officials to trade ideas to better than Mahoning Valley.  Some organizations who attended include the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC).

To read more from WFMJ, click here.

Monday, February 17, 2025

The Raymond John Wean Foundation awarded a $600,000 grant to YNDC for 2025. The grant provides support for general operating, neighborhood organizing, and a Community Engagement Fellow.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a private foundation that has a vision of empowered residents, creating a healthy, vibrant, equitable, and economically stable Mahoning Valley. The mission of the Foundation is to advance community building in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown, in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, through a powerful combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening, and partnerships.

YNDC is sincerely grateful for the ongoing support and strategic partnership with The Raymond John Wean Foundation since YNDC was created!

Community leaders and organization representatives celebrated completing the first phase of a major revitalization project on Bernard Street in Youngstown. According to Ian Beniston, the executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, phase two of the Bernard Street’s new look is ready to begin. The first completed phase of the project included building three new homes.

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

A new fund has bloomed that aims to address critical needs, promote sustainable growth and improve individual and family well-being. The Rose Carter Community Fund is a philanthropic initiative honoring Rosetta “Rose” Carter, a lifelong advocate for community empowerment, the Spano Foundation announced in a news release.

Through strategic donations, meaningful partnerships and dedicated support, the Rose Carter Community Fund will address critical needs, promote sustainable growth, and improve the well-being of individuals and families, ensuring every contribution creates a lasting impact, the release states.

A 1961 graduate of The Rayen School, Carter, 80, has been a lifelong advocate for community empowerment. She’s dedicated her life to service, which has included a 23-year career in banking to leading A.C.T.I.O.N., a faith-driven advocacy group, which serves Mahoning and Trumbull counties with its mobile food market.

Her efforts have led to fair housing initiatives, consumer protection against predatory lending and providing resources for the community.

She was instrumental in establishing Eastern Gateway Community College and working to ensure displaced students were treated fairly, and has collaborated with various organizations, including the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

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

Thursday, February 20, 2025

The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley awarded a $150,000 grant to the Glenwood Fresh Market.

The market, located at 2915 Glenwood Avenue, provides year-round access to FREE fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food items for residents of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. The market also provides free health screenings, nutrition literacy courses, cooking demonstrations, and other health resources to members. The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley and Mercy Health's Community Health team are primary partners in the Glenwood Fresh Market. Huge thanks to The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley for their ongoing support and partnership!
 

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has launched a Housing Council to help improve the quality, accessibility and attainability of housing in the Mahoning Valley. The 24-person board was created to align with a Valley housing strategy, a news release states.  The housing strategy, released in January, outlines recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the Valley’s housing market through collaborative and coordinated efforts among economic development agencies, governments, nonprofit groups, the private sector and other stakeholders. “Not only is the cost of homes rising, but so too are taxes, including property taxes, both of which are creating huge challenges for homeownership,” said Brenda Linert, director of community impact for the Regional Chamber. “We also need to build our neighborhoods back up, so we need to find ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce.” The Regional Chamber’s new Housing Council will focus on improving existing stock, developing new residential spaces and leveraging available resources.

Members of the board are:

Jason Altobelli, real estate agent at Altobelli Real Estate.
Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Krista Beniston, planning manager at the Western Reserve Port Authority.
Floyd E. Cline II, commercial mortgage loan officer at Huntington National Bank.
John Demmler, president and CEO of 717 Credit Union.
Tony DiTommaso, senior representative of Carpenters Local 171.
Gregory Ensley, vice president, commercial banking team leader at Farmers National Bank.
Lena Esmail, owner and CEO of QuickMed.
Tricia Ferry Frate, executive vice president of VEC Inc.
Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank.
Roberta Hiller, CEO of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors.
Tricia Howe, executive officer for Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley.
Ryan Kelly, CEO of Pantheon.
Joseph Koch Jr., vice president of Koch Construction.
Mark Lamoncha, president and CEO of Humtown Products.
Erik Liber, owner of HSH Drywall.
Jeff Magada, executive director of Flying High.
Kareem Maine, plant director at Ultium Cells.
Matt Martin, executive director of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.
Moshood Martins, business owner and investor.
John Masternick, president of Windsor House.
Justin Mondok, director of planning and development for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
Doug Rende, president and CEO of Shapes Unlimited.
Don Thomas, president of Platz Realty.

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

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has established a 24-member Housing Council to address housing challenges in the Mahoning Valley, officials announced Tuesday.

The council, formed to align with the Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy released in January, will focus on improving the quality, accessibility and attainability of local housing, according to Brenda Linert, the chamber’s director of community impact.

“Not only is the cost of homes rising, but so too are taxes, including property taxes, both of which are creating huge challenges for homeownership,” Linert said. “We also need to build our neighborhoods back up, so we need to find ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce.”

The regional housing strategy outlines recommendations for stabilizing and strengthening the area’s housing market through collaboration among economic development agencies, governments, nonprofits, the private sector and other stakeholders.

The council will focus on improving existing housing stock, developing new residential spaces and leveraging available resources.

Linert recently attended the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s third annual Housing Summit at the Ohio Statehouse on Feb. 20. The one-day conference addressed housing supply, accessibility and affordability, with discussions on topics including housing and tourism, national housing trends, creating a “Yes In My Backyard” (YIMBY) movement in Ohio, and legislative and policy issues.

Council members include:

Jason Altobelli, Realtor, Altobelli Real Estate
Ian Beniston, Executive Director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
Krista Beniston, Planning Manager, Western Reserve Port Authority
Floyd E. Cline II, Commercial Mortgage Loan Officer, Huntington National Bank
John Demmler, President & CEO, 717 Credit Union
Tony DiTommaso, Senior Representative, Carpenters Local 171
Gregory Ensley, Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, Farmers National Bank
Lena Esmail, Owner & CEO, QuickMed
Tricia Ferry Frate, Executive Vice President, VEC, Inc.
Debora Flora, Executive Director, Mahoning County Land Reutilization Corp.
Roberta Hiller, CEO, Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors
Tricia Howe, Executive Officer, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley
Ryan Kelly, CEO, Pantheon
Joseph Koch Jr., Vice President, Koch Construction
Mark Lamoncha, President & CEO, Humtown Products
Erik Liber, Owner, HSH Drywall
Jeff Magada, Executive Director, Flying High
Kareem Maine, Plant Director, Ultium Cells
Matt Martin, Executive Director, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
Moshood Martins, Business Owner & Investor
John Masternick, President, Windsor House
Justin Mondok, Director of Planning & Development, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
Doug Rende, President & CEO, Shapes Unlimited
Don Thomas, President, Platz Realty

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here.

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has launched a local Housing Council aimed at finding ways to improve the region’s housing stock. The council will work toward “improving the quality, accessibility and attainability of housing in the Mahoning Valley,” according to a news release from the Regional Chamber.

“Not only is the cost of homes rising but so too are taxes, including property taxes, both of which are creating huge challenges for homeownership. We also need to build our neighborhoods back up, so we need to find ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce,” said Brenda Linert, director of Community Impact for the Regional Chamber.

Recently, Linert attended the third annual Housing Summit at the Ohio Statehouse. The summit highlighted opportunities and challenges facing the state’s housing supply and affordability. Local leaders collaborated on a regional housing strategy, which was released in January. The Chamber, seeing the need for more housing to support the area’s workforce, stepped in to create the Housing Council.

Members of the council include the following:

Jason Altobelli: Realtor, Altobelli Real Estate
Ian Beniston: Executive Director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
Krista Beniston, planning manager for the Western Reserve Port Authority
Floyd E. Cline II, commercial mortgage loan officer, Huntington National Bank
John Demmler, president and CEO of 717 Credit Union
Tony DiTommaso, senior representative, Carpenters Local 171
Gregory Ensley, vice president of Commercial Banking Team Leader, Farmers National Bank
Lena Esmail, owner and CEO of QuickMed
Tricia Ferry Frate, executive vice president of VEC, Inc.
Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Reutilization Corp.
Roberta Hiller, CEO of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors
Tricia Howe, executive officer, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley
Ryan Kelly, CEO, Pantheon
Joseph Koch Jr., vice president of Koch Construction
Mark Lamoncha, president and CEO of Humtown Products
Erik Liber, owner of HSH Drywall
Jeff Magada, executive director of Flying High
Kareem Maine, plant director at Ultium Cells
Matt Martin, executive director of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
Moshood Martins, business owner and investor
John Masternick, president, Windsor House
Justin Mondok, director of planning and development for the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
Doug Rende, president and CEO of Shapes Unlimited
Don Thomas, president of Platz Realty

To read the full story from WKBN, click here.