Journal Opinion: At a Crossroads, Again
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – In August 1984, downtown Youngstown was at a crossroads. As the impact of Black Monday still rippled through the Mahoning Valley some seven years later, the central business district of the Valley’s largest city continued to hollow out, the result of a depressed local economy and retail fleeing to the suburbs.
Although the closing of the landmark Strouss-Kaufmann’s department store was two years away, Higbee’s (formerly McKelvey’s) had closed in 1982, the Stambaugh-Thompson hardware store was destroyed by fire in 1981, Lustig’s shoe store had shuttered and Haber Furniture was in the process of closing as its owner pursued a federal courthouse for the site.
The loss of Big Steel meant small businesses had to do the heavy lifting. It was in this environment that our business – the Youngstown Publishing Co. – emerged. Over the course of the last 40 years, supported by the work of dozens of employees, we have generated millions of dollars in payroll and taxes. And we have practiced “buy local” whenever possible.
For sure, our sustainability would not be achieved without the support of our advertisers and subscribers, staff and community.
Thank you!
Since 1984, we have chronicled the impressive comeback – and occasional steps backward – of downtown Youngstown. Downtown now boasts entertainment and dining venues while the campus of the Youngstown Business Incubator keeps expanding. Government investments in buildings and infrastructure have been pivotal, leading to the opening of the first hotel downtown in decades, which in turn attracted the headquarters of a global company that serves the hospitality industry.
Today, downtown is at another crossroads with a significant portion of its economic activity paralyzed in the aftermath of the natural gas explosion May 28 at Realty Tower.
The decision was made to demolish Realty Tower, and we, like many, lament the loss of the landmark. It is now essential to be vigilant and demand expeditious redevelopment of the property in a manner that achieves its full potential. We appreciate other downtown investments made by the owners of the Realty in recent years. But if they are unwilling to be aggressive in the redevelopment of what will become vacant land, they need to relinquish it to people who will.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
