Staff photo / David Skolnick Sharon Letson, Youngstown CityScape’s executive director, stands inside the greenhouse the organization purchased for $145,000. CityScape plans to renovate the former Briel’s Flowers & Greenhouse on Youngstown’s West Side.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown CityScape’s plans to reopen a West Side greenhouse and use it for a variety of purposes will benefit the community greatly, its executive board president said.

“We’re committed to preserving and reinventing this greenhouse as a community asset,” said Scott Schulick during a Tuesday event at the former Briel’s Flowers & Greenhouse on the city’s West Side.

The property was renamed CityScape at Briel’s.

The downtown beautification organization purchased the closed business at 23-26 S. Belle Vista Ave. on July 27 for $145,000.

When the work is done, CityScape will invest about $400,000 into the property, said Sharon Letson, its executive director.

“The project bridges the past, present and future as we combine elements to create something brand new,” she said.

CityScape will use the greenhouse to grow flowers and plants to beautify the city, particularly the downtown area, as well as provide a retail area, classroom space and a place for “meaningful job training for women” at Community Corrections Association, a halfway house in the city, Letson said.

CityScape will “sow the seeds to help rebuild the local economy,” she said. “We’ll get started with renovations and look forward to an exciting adventure.”

The organization plans to have a fall open house as well as one during the holiday season to sell flowers and seasonal items, Letson said.

The purchase also includes a nearby house. A decision on what to do with that house hasn’t been made, Letson said.

Rita Cecil, who worked at Briel’s for years and is a sister-in-law to the Briel family, said of the project: “I think it’s great. It’s better than seeing the building deteriorate. It’s a good move for everybody.”

George Briel Sr., who operated the business for several years, said: “I’m glad to see the building reused and redone. This is a good thing.”

Briel’s closed Dec. 31, 2019, after being in business for 96 years.

Schulick, who often patronized Briel’s, said when he saw it had closed, he urged Letson to consider having CityScape purchase it.

“We’re very excited about the possibilities,” he said. “About a decade or so ago, we did attempt to acquire a greenhouse because we beg and borrow greenhouse space all over the city and county over the last 24 years.”

The project “directly tackles our city’s history of disinvestment and resulting business and retail desert,” Schulick said. “We believe the greenhouse initiative will help to revitalize this essential business corridor” as “it provides job and life-skill training and terrific retail possibilities.”

CityScape is a nonprofit community development organization dedicated to the revitalization of the downtown area and its corridors.

It runs the annual Streetscape program that cleans up and beautifies downtown, surrounding areas and stretches into the city’s neighborhoods.

dskolnick@vindy.com