YNDC Buys Lots Near Foster Theater

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The city’s Board of Control approved the sale of parcels form the city’s land bank to Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. 

The city sold the parcels to YNDC for $243.10, according to city documents. 

The property is on the east side of Glenwood Avenue, on the block bordered by West Dewey and West Laclede avenues. It is catercorner to the former Foster Art Theater and was used for parking by patrons of the now-shuttered adult film theater, said Jack Daugherty, YNDC’s neighborhood stabilization director.  

YNDC purchased the parcels to control and clean up the site, he said. Plans call for planting grass and trees in the spring. 

“We want to get them cleaned up and continue our ongoing work we’re doing on Glenwood on vacant lots,” he said. 

That work includes rehabilitating the Foster Theater and finding determining a use for the property. A GoFundMe campaign launched last year to raise funds to restore the building’s marquee so far has raised $10,024 toward its $20,000 goal. 

It’s a step to beatify the building and bring it back to its original state on the front and bring some life back into it,” Daugherty said. “As far as long-term plans, we’re really just in the initial stages of assessing the building and preparing a plan.”

Also during the meeting, the city approved two COVID-19 Business Stabilization Program grants for of $10,000 each to Ohio Auto Body Inc., 45 Madison Ave., and One Way Auto Sales, 706 Market St. In June 2020, City Council authorized using federal coronavirus relief funds for the program, which reimburses qualified city businesses for eligible expenses.   

Pictured: The YNDC purchased land from the city near the former Foster Art Theater.

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