Neighborhoods

A vacant building on Youngstown's south side may have a future as a wellness clinic.

One Ohio Health met with Youngstown's City Council to discuss using the former Bottom Dollar grocery store as a clinic.

City council would have to drop an agreement that would have given local snack food company, Big Dipper, rights to the building for one year.

If the new agreement with One Health Ohio is approved, it could include a pharmacy, garden, and community room.

“It's a win-win thing for us all the way around. It's a service that we need and it's putting that building back to a real positive use,” said council member Anita Davis.

Youngstown City Council will meet next week to vote on the proposal.

To read the full story on wfmj.com, click here.

The city has a tentative deal with a health care provider to purchase the former Bottom Dollar store on the South Side for $150,000 and open a medical facility within 12 months.

City council will vote June 1 to have the board of control declare the former grocery-store property as surplus, turn over the deed to ONE Health Ohio, and allow the board to negotiate a development deal in which the agency would pay $150,000 for the property.

ONE Health Ohio provides medical, dental and behavioral health services with a focus on lower-income people.

Besides the $150,000 purchase, ONE Health Ohio will spend $1 million on converting the closed supermarket into a health care facility, $500,000 on equipment and $200,000 for inventory, said T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s director of community planning and economic development.

The Glenwood Avenue property is appraised at $375,000, and the terms of the development deal have the city selling it for the $150,000 reduced price, Woodberry said. There are no tax abatements or other financial incentives in the proposed deal, she said.

The agency will hire 10 to 15 employees for the facility with an annual payroll of about $696,000, she said. The city would get about $19,000 a year in income tax, Woodberry added.

“We’ve looked at the health needs of those on the South Side,” and they’re currently not being met, said Dionna M. Slagle, ONE Health Ohio’s chief financial officer.

The terms of the tentative deal were discussed Tuesday at a city council housing and economic development committee meeting.

The city wanted to replace Bottom Dollar, which closed in January 2015 after the company was sold, with another supermarket. But numerous attempts to attract a grocery store there were unsuccessful.

As part of the deal with ONE Health Ohio, the business will provide space for a fresh-food market, Woodberry said. Also, the agency will have a room at the site for community organizations to use, she said.

ONE Health Ohio, in business for 30 years, operates six health care facilities, Slagle said. They include the Youngstown Community Health Center on Wick Avenue in Youngstown, three locations in Warren and one each in Newton Falls and Alliance.

“We appreciate you doing this; it’s a much-needed service for the community,” said Councilman T.J. Rodgers, D-2nd.

The board of control signed a contract April 20 with Big Dipper Food Co. Inc., a gourmet-candy company, to use the Bottom Dollar building to store and ship inventory through the end of August. The short-term deal allows the business to use the building rent-free.

Big Dipper had offered to lease the property for $1,500 a month for six months with the option to purchase it for $180,000 during those six months.

If the ONE Health Ohio deal had fallen through, the city would have negotiated a deal with Big Dipper, Woodberry said.

City officials want to work with Big Dipper to find a different location in Youngstown for its operation.

To read the full story on vindy.com, click here.

The abandoned Bottom Dollar Food building on Glenwood Avenue in Youngstown may become a health care facility for lower-income patients.

One Health Ohio introduced its proposal to city council on Tuesday evening.

“We are requesting to purchase the property. We have an integrated health care model, so we do provide medical care, behavioral health care and dental care and all will be provided within that facility,” said Dionna Slagle, a representative from the company.

The plan is for One Health Ohio to buy the Bottom Dollar store from the city for $150,000 and invest $1.8 million in renovations.

The facility would employ 10-15 people and could be open in a year.

The Bottom Dollar is in Anita Davis’ sixth ward. She expects council to pass the proposal at next Wednesday’s meeting, allowing the board of control to do the deal.

“It’s a win-win thing for all of us all the way around. It’s a service that we need and it’s putting that building back into a really positive use,” she said.

One Health Ohio currently operates the Youngstown Community Health Center on the north side, which sees about 8,500 patients a year. Only about 1,000 of them come from the south side, where the vacant building is located.

Slagle said it was a transportation issue for people living on the south side, which is why the company wants to open a second facility in Youngstown.

“We are here for the uninsured, the under-insured and everybody. We are a federally qualified health center,” she said.

In addition to health care, the building would include a fresh foods market and community room.

To read the full story on wkbn.com, click here.

The William Swanston Charitable Fund is allocating $298,200 in grants for nine initiatives focused on health and wellness of at-risk children, including installing outdoor playground equipment in two Youngstown parks and a comprehensive program focused on disadvantaged at-risk mothers-to-be, mothers and their children.

The Swanston Fund also announced continuing support for ongoing health and fitness programs in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

“The Swanston Charitable Fund is pleased to provide resources to assist creative and dedicated professionals who care about our Valley’s children. We continue to be impressed by the initiatives these agencies are crafting to create opportunities for children to lead healthier, safer and more fulfilling lives,” said Paul M. Dutton, chairman of the fund, in announcing the grants.

A highlight of this year’s grant includes $75,000 to install outdoor fitness equipment at the Glenwood and Homestead neighborhood parks and launch regimented fitness programs in the summer day camp programs administered by the city, Dutton noted.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. will install outdoor fitness equipment modeled after resistance and other machines commonly found at gyms, but designed to withstand outdoor environments and be user-friendly for youth. YNDC will engage youth in discussions regarding physical activity and the playground improvements. Options for using the equipment will be shared with the youth to gather feedback on preferences. The equipment will then be installed by volunteers at community build day with ribbon-cutting events held to raise awareness following installation.

In addition to the equipment, YNDC is collaborating with the city to implement fitness programming in the city’s day camp program. YSU Campus Recreation will be engaged to institute the daily fitness activities with the new equipment.

The Swanston Fund also approved $25,000 to Mercy Health Mahoning Valley’s Resource Mothers program. The program is focused on disadvantaged at-risk mothers and their children to ensure prenatal care, improve pregnancy outcomes, provide post-natal care and reduce childhood obesity.

In addition, grants were provided to these seven organizations:

Akron Children’s Hospital, $75,000 for its Mahoning Valley Healthy Kids Coalition initiative, representing third-year funding for the effort launched in 2014.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, $32,500 to hold three “Better Block” events in Trumbull Count,.

D & E Counseling, $31,200 to support a healthy nutrition pilot program for children and parents involved in the Head Start program.

Compass Family and Community Services, $25,000 to support the Daybreak Youth Crisis Shelter, a 10-bed short term emergency shelter for runaway, homeless, and “throwaway” youth.

Children’s Rehabilitation Center, $14,500 to expand its fitness and wellness program introduced in 2014 and funded by Swanston,.

Children’s Hunger Alliance, $10,000 to support and expand its after-school nutrition program in Youngstown that was launched in December 2014 and funded by Swanston.

YWCA of Youngstown, $10,000 to support efforts around eliminating childhood nutritional barriers in Mahoning County.

“Each of these programs addresses the harsh challenges confronting many at-risk children in our community,” Dutton said.

The William Swanston Charitable Fund, established in 1919, seeks to help improve the lives of at-risk children in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. It is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.

To read the full story on businesshjournaldaily.com, click here.

If you are interested in a completely refurbished two-story, three-bedroom home with original wood trim and refinished hardwood floors, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., in partnership with Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association, has a deal for you.

The home, with a formal dining room, living room with a fireplace, one and one-half baths, new high-efficiency furnace and hot water heater and new windows, was on display Wednesday during the Cookie Table Open House.

Maybe the best things about the home, located at 138 S. Hazelwood Ave. on the city’s West Side, is the neighborhood’s sense of community, where some of the best cookie bakers you can imagine live.

The price for the house is $50,000, which is barely above the estimated $45,000 renovation cost, said Tiffany Sokol, housing director for YNDC, which did the renovation.

“We kept as much of the historical characteristics of the colonial-style home as possible, Sokol said, adding it was built in 1941.

The house had been vacant for at least five years, and had been stripped, making it necessary to redo the plumbing and electrical systems, she said.

Barbara Chamberlain, who lives across the street, said she is “amazed at how well they preserved the place. It didn’t look like it could be done.”

“It’s good for the neighborhood, where we all keep an eye out for each other and get together and have dinner and tea,” Chamberlain said.

Pat Siembieda and Irene Kowal, who live on nearby South Glenellen Avenue, agreed that refurbishing the home is a good idea.

“The YNDC is doing a nice job,” Siembieda said.

“We’re extremely excited about the house renovation project, said John Slanina, president of Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association, which was founded in 2010.

“The house was empty, but now it is full of life and waiting for a new owner,” he said.

Roughly, the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood is bounded by Mahoning Avenue, South Schenley Avenue, McCollum Road and South Belle Vista, and is basically surrounded by Mill Creek MetroParks.

Slanina said there are two more houses in the neighborhood scheduled for renovation: one on Ridgelawn Avenue and another, the location of which he did not reveal because it is in the acquisition stage.

But, Slanina said, the big thing Rocky Ridge Neighbors is known for is its sugar house, where volunteers make and sell maple syrup in January and February.

“We are completely sold out of this year’s batch, and have made $15,000 selling the syrup over four years, most of which was given to charities,” he said.

“The Rocky Ridge Neighbors are dedicated to building community, marketing our great neighborhood and solving issues of mutual concern,” Slanina said.

“We’re just trying to make our little part of the world a better place. It’s a great experience getting to know all my neighbors, who are authentically wonderful people,” he said.

To read the full story on vindy.com, click here.

The Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association held an open house Wednesday to showcase a renovated home it’s hoping to sell.

It used a Youngstown tradition to draw in potential buyers: the cookie table.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation acquired the property on S. Hazelwood Avenue, and residents in the neighborhood put in the work to fix it up.

“We work with the neighborhood and other strategic partners to identify priority properties in each neighborhood that need some investment,” said Tiffany Sokol from YNDC.

The house is for sale for $50,000 and is located next to a community garden. The neighborhood association has plans to renovate two more homes this year.

To read the full story on wkbn.com, click here.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

On Wednesday, May 25, the Rocky Ridge Neighbors and YNDC held a cookie table open house at 138 S. Hazelwood Avenue. Over 75 residents and members of the public attended the event.

The home was fully renovated through a partnership with the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and City of Youngstown and is available for sale to owner occupants for $50,000.

The revitalization of the property is one of the many priorities in the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Action Plan and is the first of multiple properties to be fully renovated and sold to new homeowners. The open house highlighted the many improvements to the two-story colonial constructed in 1941 and was available for tours. Rocky Ridge Neighbors offered a cookie table composed of cookies made by neighborhood residents and Mill Creek Maple Cotton Candy made with the neighborhood’s own maple syrup.

Rocky Ridge Neighbors also conducted their monthly meeting on site with guest speaker Bob McGovern, a Rocky Ridge resident and owner of Cartography Coffee. REVITALIZE.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

On Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28, local Boy Scout Troop 22 and their leaders camped at YNDC's 45 Oneta Street facility.

The troop cut and painted boards that will be used to board up and secure more than 20 vacant houses throughout the City of Youngstown. We thank the group for their service in the fight against blight .

Two new splash pads will open on Wednesday in Youngstown.

One is located at John White Park on Kimmel Street, and the other is in Homestead Park at Gibson Street and Dewey Avenue.

The splash pads shoot and spray water from sprinklers for children to play on.

Youngstown City Council agreed to pay $140,000 for the splash pads in November. It accepted a $35,000 grant from the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation to offset some of the cost.

There are several pools and splash pads open during the summer months throughout Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Mercer counties.

To read the full story on wkbn.com, click here.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and the Children's Rehabilitation Center in Howland are among nine local initiatives receiving charitable funds targeted at improving the health and wellness of at-risk kids.

To read the full story on tribtoday.com, click here.