YOUNGSTOWN — The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown will demolish an old rectory near its offices on East Wood Street to build a two-story facility to store its records.

The city’s design review committee approved the request Tuesday to demolish the rectory and a garage at SS. Cyril and Methodius Church at 252 E. Wood St., near the diocese offices.

The diocese has “got quite a collection of records — birth records, marriage records, a lot of important items — that need to be stored in an environmentally-controlled facility,” Paul Hagman, the project’s architect, said.

The rectory and garage are not attached to the church, he said.

The church also plans to make some updates to the exterior of the church, including to its roof, Hagman said.

“The diocese is looking to do a multipart project,” he said.

The new building will use similar stone and brick work as the church, Hagman said.

“It should be a handsome little addition to the site there,” he said.

Also Tuesday, the committee approved plans for work to two former Rite Aid stores in the city.

LIFE-NWPA (Living Independence for the Elderly-Northwest Pennsylvania) plans to open an adult day care center, called Buckeye PACE Senior Center & Clinic, at 2701 Market St., by October 2025.

It received approval Tuesday to place signs on the building. At the Aug. 6 design review committee meeting, LIFE-NWPA received permission to do other exterior work on the property.

LIFE-NWPA, based in Erie, Pa., has adult day care centers in three states and is expanding to Ohio with the Youngstown location being among the first in the state.

The Youngstown facility will have doctors, nurses and therapists, as well as provide a place for seniors to socialize and eat.

The committee also voted to permit Novogroder / Youngstown LLC to make exterior improvements — including signs and removing the pharmacy drive-thru and an awning — at the former Rite Aid, 2800 Mahoning Ave.

The company plans to open a Kedplasma plasma donation facility at that location with construction starting in April. Construction will take a year to complete.

Rite Aid recently emerged from bankruptcy after closing all but four stores in Ohio.

The committee voted Tuesday to permit the Varsity Club of Youngstown to install temporary signs until its opening in late November.

The restaurant, with a Youngstown State University sports theme, is opening on the ground floor of the Gallagher Building, 131 W. Commerce St.

The committee also approved signs for the Apollo Event Center at 117 S. Champion St. The former Rica Building was sold in 2022 and changed its name to the Apollo Building.