EL Halts Legal Action Against Boardman Businessman

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – The East Liverpool Community Improvement Corp. has halted legal action against a Boardman businessman who failed to make payments on a $40,000 loan he secured from the agency in September.

Payments have now started, officials explained.

The CIC had voted in March to sue Shaun DaVill, owner of DaVill Enterprises, who operates nitrogen-enhanced ice cream and coffee shops in Boardman and Salem and who planned to start up similar operations in the Little Building downtown.

The legal action resulted from a report to the board’s finance committee by CIC Executive Director Bill Cowan that, despite having secured the loan for startup and equipment costs, DaVill had failed to start his businesses as planned, and to make his initial October loan payment or any payment since.
Communications by email between Cowan and DaVill and a collection letter sent by city Law Director Charles Payne were unfruitful, Cowan told the CIC committee and full board, which ultimately decided to take legal steps.

When contacted by the Business Journal following that action, DaVill said he was unaware the issue had reached that point, saying he was waiting for the Little Building renovation to be completed and he had “every intention” of going forward with his plans to start a coffee shop and ice cream store in two separate storefronts. 

DaVill indicated at that time he would be calling Cowan to clear up the matter.

Cowan recently confirmed that DaVill stopped in his office, repaid half of the $40,000, and made arrangements to divide the remaining amount into monthly payments.

This prompted Cowan to ask Payne about stopping legal action, which he said the law director agreed to “go ahead and see how it goes.” Cowan said no board action is required at this time.

Cowan emphasized DaVill is required to invest the remaining funding in some type of project in the city, not just repay the loan, and said the businessman expressed his plans to do so, although he said DaVill indicated he may look at an alternate site instead of the Little Building.

In the previous article, building owner Amy Faulk had said if DaVill decided not to locate his shops in the building, she has a waiting list of others interested in those storefronts, saying it is a “fabulous building.”
Faulk purchased the historic structure last May. It has been undergoing renovations since but suffered damage during the winter when a waterline froze and broke, delaying her plans to have the building occupied by March. 

Faulk said tenants are lined up for all the lower floors.

DaVill did not return a message seeking comment for this article.

Pictured: The Little Building in downtown East Liverpool.

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