Paris Excavating Moving into Former Hynes Building
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – J.S. Paris Excavating Inc. will move into industrial property formerly owned by Hynes Industries on Industrial Road.
The commercial site development firm, founded in 1991, plans to begin renovation work on 185 Industrial Road as soon as next week and be in the building within 60 days, said vice president Jason Paris Tuesday afternoon.
Paris Excavating received approval from the Youngstown Board of Zoning Appeals for a reduction in the property’s side yard setback to accommodate a nearly 2,400-square-foot addition to the existing structure, which is about 30,000 square feet, Paris said.
“It’s our hometown. We’re trying to invest in the city,” he said. “If we don’t reinvest, who will?”
Paris Excavating purchased the property in June for $500,000, according to Mahoning County property records.
The company, assisted by representatives of the city’s department of community planning and economic development, looked at four sites within the city limits, he said. The former Hynes building is attractive because of its large overhead crane, Paris said.
Beyond that help, the company did not request other incentives or financial aid to assist with its move to Youngstown, said T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s community planning and economic development director.
“We’re happy to sit down with businesses and we welcome them,” Woodberry said. “If there’s assistance we can provide, we’re happy to do so. We’re just happy to have them here.”
Paris Excavating plans to spend $350,000 initially to upgrade the existing building and expand its office space, Paris said. In addition to serving as its headquarters, the firm will store and service its equipment at the site. It has about 80 employees, but on a regular basis about six will be based at the Industrial Road location.
The renovation and expansion will take about six months to complete, he said.
Next year, Paris Excavating plans to begin work on industrial warehouse space on McClurg Road, depending on demand, Paris said. Paris Properties 4 LLC, a real estate company established by Paris Excavating, purchased the McClurg Road property in March for $100,000, according to county property records. Kutlick Realty, Boardman, is the leasing agent on 10.9-acre site.
“The need is there,” but it takes time to create the space that tenants need, Bill Kutlick, broker, said. Land prices, freeway access and utilities makes such projects competitive with equivalent space in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh markets, and the relatively flat land in Mahoning and Trumbull counties makes site development less expensive than with Pittsburgh’s hilly topography.
Among the potential tenants Kutlick Realty is talking to are companies in the food business, he said. “There’s a huge need for freezer and cooler space,” he said. Distributors with facilities in Cleveland and Pittsburgh also use local space as a drop-off location.
Paris said he expects to develop three flex spaces of about 25,000 square feet. Planning on that project is in the preliminary phases, with a possible groundbreaking next spring. His company already is in talks with one potential tenant.
“Right now we have our hands full, so probably not this year but some spring we’ll be hoping to try to move forward on that and maybe break ground,” he said.
Pictured: J.S. Excavating Inc. will begin renovation work next week on the former Hynes Industries building at 185 Industrial Road.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
