YOUNGSTOWN — City council on Wednesday approved legislation to designate 34.4 acres downtown as a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area to permit businesses to sell alcoholic beverages for outdoor consumption and to use $400,000 in American Rescue Plan funding to create the Youngstown Restoration & Opportunity Center.

Both, approved by 7-0 votes, will help the city grow economically and provide opportunities needed for residents and businesses, said Councilman Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward.

Oliver represents downtown and used $400,000 in funding from his ward’s ARP allocation as seed money for YoROC.

YoROC would seek to assist city residents who are unemployed or underemployed receive free training in health care and the culinary arts.

“For the city, it’s transformational,” Oliver said. “We’re going to be able to provide our citizens with a free workforce development program. It’s something we’ve never seen before, and it changes the narrative and shows the city cares for its residents and they care for themselves. They’ll be able to advance their lives.”

The initiative will work with Choffin Career & Technical Center and Bon Secours Mercy Health to provide free licensed programs for up to 30 students per program per year.

The center will have a temporary location and eventually seek a permanent site. Locations haven’t been determined.

The DORA, Oliver said, “is an economic development tool to get more people downtown; to get more people walking downtown from bar to bar. We’re trying to get more people to come downtown and participate in our events.”

The state is expected to approve the DORA designation well before the city’s annual holiday parade, Oliver said.

The DORA would require alcohol to be sold in specific plastic cups 4 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays. Special hours of DORA operation would be permitted in advance by the mayor with the consent of city council.

The DORA location includes nearly all of downtown, including the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre.

“It’s going to make things easier for people to get around downtown,” said Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th Ward. “It’s an extension of the entertainment district and eliminates the need for special permits for businesses every time they want to host an event.”

A major street improvement project and the May 28 gas explosion at the Realty Tower and subsequent demolition that closed off sections of downtown have impacted bars and restaurants there, Oliver said.

With the DORA, Oliver said, “We expect more businesses to come downtown.”

OTHER BUSINESS

Council also approved legislation Wednesday to have the board of control enter into a job creation agreement with P&S Wholesale Baking Co.

The business is adding a second shift of 40 workers, who are expected to be city residents, said city Finance Director Kyle Masek.

The business would get about $98,400 in income tax refunds over three years in exchange for adding the jobs.

P&S would get a 100% rebate on the 2.75% income tax paid by new employees in the first year, which would be 2026. The rebate drops to 75% in the second year and then 50% in the third and final year.

Council authorized the board of control Wednesday to sign an additional $75,000 contract with Steadfast City Economic & Community Partners of St. Louis to continue consulting on the 20 Federal Place project.

The downtown city-owned building recently underwent a $7.4 million asbestos abatement and partial demolition project and the city is considering an offer from Bluelofts Inc., a Dallas, Texas, company, to redevelop the site.

Steadfast has received $208,000 from the city since 2021 for consulting work, Miasek said.

Steadfast may consult on other downtown redevelopment possibilities.

Also Wednesday, council approved ordinances to have the board of control sign agreements with the Ohio Department of Transportation for three improvement projects estimated to cost $5.8 million with state and federal grants covering $5.03 million of it.

One project would upgrade 14 signal lights on Market Street and four on Indianola Avenue, including the removal of unwarranted signals, coordinating the lights, new curb ramps and pedestrian signals.

Another project will reduce lanes on Walnut Street from Front to Commerce streets and on Boardman Street from Walnut to Market streets as well as paving, streetscape work, lighting upgrades, adding greenspace and a pedestrian stairway on Walnut Street from Commerce to Wood streets.

The third project is the rehabilitation of the South Avenue Bridge over the Youngstown and Southeastern Railroad Co. line.

The first project would be done in 2026 with the other two starting next year.

Council agreed to use $351,633 in ARP funding for an engineering study to upgrade the Webb Road pump station.

The station distributes water to most of Austintown and Canfield townships and an old 48-inch waterline needs to be replaced.