YOUNGSTOWN — The Western Reserve Transit Authority plans to demolish its bus garage and build a new one at its Mahoning Avenue headquarters.

The city’s design review committee Tuesday approved plans for WRTA to demolish the front bus garage at 604 Mahoning Ave. and construct a new bus annex to accommodate and charge electric buses.

The project is budgeted to cost $5 million though WRTA has not advertised for proposals yet, said Dean Harris, its executive director. WRTA received a nearly $5 million federal grant that Harris said he hopes will pay for all or nearly all of the work.

The current building was constructed in the 1920s and has doors on only one side, so WRTA has to back vehicles in to park them, Harris said, adding the new and larger building will have doors on both sides.

“It’s going to be designed to be more functional, larger and be able to charge 20 electric vehicles,” Harris said.

Demolition work on the existing building should start at the end of this year or early next year with the new building being constructed in spring 2026 and finished by the end of 2026 or early 2027, Harris said.

The project also will need approval of the city’s board of zoning appeals because of setback issues.

WRTA has 14 to 17 vehicles inside the existing building, Harris said. They will be parked at the former Clearview Building, 730 Mahoning Ave., which WRTA purchased, Harris said.

WRTA also received approval to renovate its current bus barn, where its vehicles are washed, with the work including the installation of a new metal panel exterior.

OTHER BUSINESS

The design review committee on Tuesday recommended the approval of a facade grant to Teenies Tavern, 3011 South Ave., which is planning $23,207 in parking lot improvements. The grant is for $11,635, which is likely a typographical error as businesses have to pay at least half of the cost. The grant, when approved, would likely be for $11,603.50.

City council in December 2022 approved setting aside $1 million of Youngstown’s $82.7 million in American Rescue Plan funds for the business 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 their location in the city, 20% of the loan is forgiven until it reaches 100% in five years.

With this project, the committee has authorized 57 businesses to receive grants from the program.

The committee on Tuesday deferred a vote until next month on a seven-story mural to the west side of Erie Terminal Place, 112 W. Commerce St.

“This looks more like advertising than art,” said Charles Shasho, a committee member and the city’s deputy director of public works.

Nikki Posterli, a committee member and director of the city’s community planning and economic development department, agreed. She wants the white background on the proposed mural be darkened as it doesn’t go with the red brick facade and for the elimination of the building’s website address.

The committee approved a mural for the Gallagher Building, 131 W. Commerce St., to redo the building’s original sign and get rid of the “wholesale liquor store” part of the sign as the building is home to housing and the Varsity Club Youngstown.

But the committee held off on approving a four-story-tall Pete the Penguin mural on the courtyard side of the building, requested by the Varsity Club Youngstown, until it sees documentation that Youngstown State University agrees to have its mascot on the side of the restaurant that sponsors and highlights YSU athletics.

Both Posterli and Shasho questioned the size of the Pete the Penguin mural, asking if it had to be so big.