City Council considers possibilities for vacant land in Youngstown

youngstown, ohio (WKBN) — On all sides of Youngstown, there are streets with the letter v written on them.Vacant land where a house once stood –And back to the place where houses are built.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation estimates there are 25,000 vacant lots in the city.

In September, a vacant house on Delason Avenue became one of 246 homes demolished in Youngstown last year, leaving more vacant lots in its wake. Demolition in Youngstown will become manageable if 350 more buildings are demolished this year and next. But then what?

Youngstown City Councilman Julius Oliver is using this opportunity to use some of the American Rescue Plan funds to build three new homes in Barnard and Glenwood on the Lower South Side. There is. The land is being cleared and staked.

“I think people need to see this vacant land and demolition as an opportunity,” Oliver said. “Everyone is looking for an affordable place to live, and you’ve got it. Governor welcomes people back to Ohio. Youngstown became number one in many places.of No.1 retirement destination. No.1 livable area. Well, we got all this vacant land. ”

Mayor Tito Brown also sees the empty space as an opportunity. He is also considering using it as a residence. Depending on your location, you may be able to build entire blocks, or entire neighborhoods.

“But we’re not just going to do it on a whim,” Brown said. “We’re going to make it make sense, but at the same time we’re going to further strengthen that area.”

Many of the vacant streets still have housing and infrastructure in place.

“If there are still homes on that street, we’re still sending water and wastewater down that street, so that would be a plus,” Brown said.

Because there are “too many” vacant properties, not every vacant property will have something installed, at least not right away. Many will remain green or perhaps transformed into park-like environments with trees planted.

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/youngstown-news/council-looks-at-possibilities-with-vacant-land-in-youngstown/ City Council considers possibilities for vacant land in Youngstown