City OKs Demolition Contract for Bel Park Building

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Work should begin in about three weeks to take down the former Bel Park Professional Building, following the award of a contract this morning.

The city Board of Control this morning awarded a $77,000 contract to Siegel Excavating LLC, Edinburg, Pa. for asbestos abatement, demolition, site clearance, backfill and grading of the property, 1005 Belmont Ave. Siegel’s bid was considered the lowest and best of the five bids submitted, which ranged from $70,000 to $236,825.

The award is contingent upon review and approval of the bid documents by the city law department.

Siegel is “ready to get started fairly quickly,” and plans to be finished by the end of September, Chuck Shasho, Youngstown’s deputy director of public works, said. He said he expects to see activity get under way within two weeks, following a pre-construction meeting and submission of required environmental notices.

On Tuesday, City Council approved the sale of the property to Mercy Health Youngstown. Mercy’s St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital is across from the long-vacant building.

“It’ll be great to see the greening” of the site and the removal of “that white albatross,” Mayor Jamael Tito Brown remarked. “It’ll be a plus for that area, for [Mercy Health’s] campus,” he added.

During the meeting, the board also approved selling a Belmont Avenue lot to Dr. Derrick Jackson, a Belmont Avenue podiatrist, for $175.

Jackson, whose practice is at 1320 Belmont Ave., owns the former Buckeye Review building, 1201 Belmont Ave., as well as three lots surrounding the lot, which served as the building’s parking lot and were previously part of a single property with one owner.

According to the city, Jackson plans to install a new parking lot with landscaping, sidewalks, shrubs and lighting.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.