YOUNGSTOWN — A project to improve downtown streets that met with resistance in late October will be back in front of city council Wednesday — though it remains to be seen if the votes are there to move it forward.

Council’s finance committee met Monday to discuss numerous pieces of legislation that the full body will consider at its Wednesday meeting.

Among them are applying for a $300,000 federal grant and a $1.3 million state grant for a downtown improvement project to Walnut Street from Front to Commerce streets, and to Boardman Street from Walnut to Market streets.

The project is expected to cost about $2.86 million with city funding covering the difference, said Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works.

Shasho said the state and federal grant money is virtually guaranteed to be awarded to the city.

Council postponed a vote on the $300,000 grant Oct. 20 with some members saying the city’s share of the project should be used for neighborhood street improvement work.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, remains adamant that she won’t support the project because the city has spent millions of dollars on downtown at the expense of the neighborhoods.

“We ought to come uptown” to Market Street, she said. “Anywhere but downtown.”

Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th Ward, said: “It’s frustrating to not see any movement along the corridors and into the neighborhoods.”

The work includes reducing the number of vehicular lanes, road paving, streetscape work, lighting upgrade and adding greenspace, Shasho said. It also includes a stairway on Walnut Street from Commerce to Wood streets.

The project would probably start in February 2023 and take nine months to complete, Shasho said.

Only four of council’s seven members attended Monday’s finance committee meeting. Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, who attended Monday’s meeting, supports seeking the grants.

Councilwoman Basia Adamczak, D-7th Ward, recommended the finance committee recommend passage of the two grant applications along with the rest of the legislation discussed Monday with McNally and Davis voting in support — though the latter said she is a definite no when the ordinances come to the floor Wednesday for a vote.

$2 MILLION LOAN

Council appears to support a proposal to loan $2 million for a year, with 0.25 percent interest, to 802 Elm Development.

The company, which is majority owned by Mazzarini Real Estate of Pittsburgh, wants to spend about $2.6 million to build a food market on the ground floor of the former Dorian Books building, 802 Elm St. on the North Side, said T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s economic development director.

The company wants to put four-person apartments on the upper two floors, she said. Each floor has four apartments.

The building, which is near the Youngstown State University campus, would have the apartments designed for student housing, but it wouldn’t be limited to that, Woodberry said.

The company wants to close on the 12,350-square-foot property purchase in December and get the loan from the city at the same time, she said.

The loan requires an irrevocable letter of credit from a lending institution so it protects the city if the business can’t pay back the money, Woodberry said.

The project would take about eight months to be finished, she said.

OTHER BUSINESS

The finance committee also recommended council pass the following legislation Wednesday:

∫ Approve using $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act money “to be used specifically and equally in each of the seven wards of the city” that would be controlled by city council, according to an ordinance.

∫ Spend $1,269,489 in ARP money to purchase 100 body cameras and 155 Tasers for its police officers as well as store them and buy the needed computer network equipment. The city was awarded $82,775,370 in ARP funds with half coming last May and the rest sent in May 2022.

∫ Approve a three-year contract with the police patrol officers union that increases starting salaries by 27.35 percent and gives annual pay raises, starting Jan. 1, of 2 percent and then 2.5 percent in 2023 and 2024 to officers at the top of the pay scale. Those not at the top of the pay scale will move up a step with each year of experience with raises ranging from $1,760 to $2,240.

∫ Sign a three-year contract with Desmone Architects of Pittsburgh to give it 60 days to work on a plan to redevelop the city-owned 20 Federal Place at 20 W. Federal St. downtown.

dskolnick@vindy.com