YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The city’s Board of Control approved a 10-year, 75% tax abatement Thursday for Penguin City Brewing Co.
The abatement, which City Council approved in December, will support an expansion project and site upgrades at the taproom and brewery, which Penguin City opened in the former Republic warehouse in 2022.
“It brings business and growth to our city,” Stephanie Gilchrist, city economic development director, said of the project.
Planned upgrades include an additional restroom, paving the rear parking lot, equipment improvements to enhance manufacturing and distribution capabilities and improving access, according to Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki, co-owner of Penguin City. The brewery added another 60-barrel fermenter last year.
In June 2024, the project was awarded $700,000 from the state capital budget.
The project is expected to add three full-time and three part-time positions in the next three years, Gilchrist said. The value of the abatement will be calculated following completion of the project, she said.
Dam Removal
During the meeting, the Board of Control also approved a $37,075 increase in its contract with MS Consultants Inc., Youngstown, to manage low-head dam removal in the city. The increase brings the contract amount to $335,805.
The city is removing three low-head dams as part of a project to improve the flow of the Mahoning River and create development opportunities along the river corridor.
The city is in the process of acquiring property for the project, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works. He said he hopes to put out requests for proposals this summer, but that will depend on how acquisitions progress.