YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mahoning County Land Bank laid the foundation for its shift toward new development in 2024 with the demolition of more than 300 houses and the clearing of abandoned commercial brownfields and residential sites.
One major achievement was the cleanup of the long-contaminated former Royal China factory in Sebring. The 20-acre site had been dormant since the 1980s, when the dinnerware producer closed the plant after 80 years of operation.
The two-year cleanup project included the delivery of 1,800 truckloads of clean soil to replace or encapsulate dirt riddled with lead and other contaminants. Much of the funding came from a $1.5 million state grant. The property owner, Michael Conny, owner of MAC Trailer in Alliance, will soon be eligible to apply for regulatory clearance to market the site.
The Land Bank recently secured nearly $3.5 million in grants from the Ohio Department of Development to clean up three brownfield sites in Youngstown, including the Youngstown Flea building, the site of the former McGuffey Mall and the asbestos-ridden South High Field House.
“These grants will pay for costly environmental cleanup work and clear barriers to progress and development at these locations,” says Debora Flora, executive director of the Land Bank.
In addition to commercial redevelopment, the Land Bank is increasing its inventory of buildable lots, setting the stage for its collaborative efforts with local partners to build new homes.
Of the 300-plus demolitions, nearly all were houses and residential multiplexes in Youngstown, with several in Campbell. The Land Bank has arranged more than 500 demolitions countywide over the past two years with the support of a $6.8 million state grant.
“We’re glad to be on the other end of the majority of the demolition work,” Flora says, “and we have a lot of exciting plans and partnerships working toward making spaces productive again.”
Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. is building six three-bedroom homes on lots the Land Bank acquired years ago through foreclosures on Mineral Springs Avenue in Youngstown’s Idora neighborhood. The work is financed by a state grant.
Several of the homes will be listed for sale this spring for about $180,000 each.
While the Land Bank has its sights set on new construction this year, it has nearly 2,500 properties in its inventory, many of which are better suited for beautification efforts.The Land Bank will continue to expand its greening initiatives with a $10,000 grant from the Western Reserve Health Foundation, covering the cultivation of more native perennial plants at Youngstown CityScape’s greenhouse. Native plants are known to be more environmentally friendly and often involve lower maintenance costs than traditional grass and hedges.
The Land Bank expects to expand a popular program that enables qualified owner-occupants or investors to buy houses owned by the Land Bank at modest prices to fix them up. Under the Deed in Escrow program, the Land Bank holds the deed in escrow until the buyer completes a renovation with his own funds that brings the house up to a community’s housing code. The Land Bank transfers the deed after the project is completed and approved.
“People in neighborhoods are feeling the difference in the way things appear,” says Flora. “All of our clean-up efforts have been focused on creating a better environment for neighbors in the immediate term, and now we’re focusing on new construction and development, building an even brighter future for these communities.”
The Land Bank, founded in 2011, is a county agency that restores and repurposes land and promotes sustainable neighborhoods. It has a staff of nine.