YOUNGSTOWN — Mercy Health-Youngstown has acquired property on Belmont Avenue about 1 mile north from its St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, a move that opens the door for expanded access to health care and new space for the provider’s residency programs.

The deal worth $850,000 includes the former Youngstown Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic at 2031 Belmont Ave. and other parcels that were consolidated between 2013 Belmont Ave. and 2111 Belmont Ave., according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office.

Tri-State Laboratories Inc. was the former owner. It had owned the VA clinic since 2005, according to the auditor’s office.

According to a statement from Mercy Health-Youngstown, the acquisition gives the health care provider the ability to “focus on enhancing current access to health services through new points of care as well as educating the next generation of physicians through several local residency programs.”

Also, “the purchase of 2013 Belmont Avenue will allow our health system to redevelop an otherwise vacant property within the city of Youngstown for further expansion of services including a renewed space for Mercy Health’s residency programs.”

The new VA clinic, named for local decorated Vietnam War veteran, Carl A. Nunziato, at 1815 Belmont Ave., about a half-mile away from the former location, opened in January. The Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2019 announced the $24.4 million project and 20-year agreement for the new clinic.

The former clinic opened in 1991.

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