YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s design review committee approved four more companies for exterior work that make them eligible to receive grants from Youngstown’s facade program.

With Tuesday’s approvals, 36 businesses have been authorized by the committee to receive grants from the program since the beginning of the year.

City council in December approved setting aside $1 million of Youngstown’s $82.78 million in American Rescue Plan funds for the facade program. It allows eligible companies to receive up to $20,000 each to help pay for the cost of exterior improvements.

In order to get the grants, companies have to obtain permission from the design review committee. Companies must show they are paying at least half of the cost of the work being done.

The facade grants are forgivable loans with a five-year term. Every year a business remains open at its location in the city, 20 percent of the loan is forgiven until it reaches 100 percent at five years.

Three of the four grants awarded Tuesday were for the $20,000 maximum.

THE APPROVALS

Yo Properties LLC is doing $67,311 of exterior improvements to the Gallagher Building at 23 N. Hazel St. That includes painting the exterior, landscaping and adding a mural. The committee declined the company’s request to add fencing for a trash enclosure as more conversations on that are needed, Charles Shasho, committee member and the city’s deputy director of public works, said.

Also getting a $20,000 grant is Charlie Staples Pitt Boss BBQ & Esport Lounge at 372 Rayen Ave. for a $44,747 sign to replace the existing one.

Charlie and Marge Staples sold the business in June to Casey Pitts and Tonia Farmer Pitts, who owned Pitt Boss BBQ and Gamers Lounge at 2077 Elm Road NE in Warren, which was destroyed in a July 2022 fire.

Mozac Properties is proposing a $63,475 project to its property at 1221 N. Meridian Road. The project includes paving the parking lot, excavating overgrown trees and sealing cracks.

In addition to the three $20,000 facade grants, the committee approved a $19,630 project for Hopewell Theatre, 702 Mahoning Ave., to pave its parking lot to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The theater is getting $9,815 from the facade program.

Also Tuesday, the committee agreed to let the Erie Terminal Place at 112 W. Commerce St. build a 40-foot-by-25-foot patio at the rear of its building for a restaurant that is expected to open there.

The committee rejected a request from Youngstown Kicks, 23 W. Boardman St., for painted signs on its windows.

The business already had painted the signs. The committee gave the business a 60-day extension to keep the painted signs in place. During that time, the business will work to get more permanent signs, Shasho said. Youngstown Kicks will be back in front of the committee next month and if the sign plan is approved, it will have 30 days to implement it, Shasho said.

Youngstown Kicks, which will sell sneakers, plans to open shortly at the former Greyland Gallery, a short distance from city hall.