YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A downtown restaurant and bar wants to add a patio for outdoor dining.

Avalon Downtown Pizzeria, 15-17 W. Federal St., is seeking approval to improve its façade and add a patio on the sidewalk in front of the business.

The restaurant’s owner has submitted plans to the city’s design review committee, which will consider the proposal at its meeting Tuesday.

According to the documents submitted by the restaurant, the renovations will include a demolition of an adjacent street façade at 19 W. Federal St., which formerly fronted Bella Amica – a small retail store – removing its door, vestibule and window as well as an  existing automatic teller machine, and then resurfacing the outside wall with a brick veneer to match the remainder of Avalon’s storefront. 

The restaurant also proposes to erect a black patio fence to create and enclose an outdoor dining area outside 15 W. Federal St., in front of an existing door that is usually not used for entrance to the restaurant. The fence would have at least one gate and be set back 5 feet from the edge of the sidewalk to allow pedestrians to walk past. It would look similar to fences used by other West Federal Street restaurants for outdoor seating.

The Avalon’s plans also include improvements to its rear entrance, including removal of existing paint and repairing the mortar to retain the existing design.

Avalon Downtown Pizzeria is owned by Massullo Properties of Canfield. Strollo Architects of Youngstown is handling the project design.

The design review committee will consider two other proposals at its Tuesday meeting. They are:

  • Installation of an illuminated sign on the front of a yellow brick building at 718 Belmont Ave. that will house Lucky’s Indian Grocery. The property is owned  by Singh Tarlochan of Youngstown.
  • Relocation of a historical bell to the area in front of the downtown fire station at 420 Martin Luther King Blvd. A small structure with a shingle roof will be constructed to support the bell. The relocation is an Eagle Scout project by Keira Philips and was submitted by architect Annissa Neider.