Correspondent photo / Sean Barron From left, Sharon Letson, Youngstown CityScape’s executive director; Scott Schulick, Youngstown StreetScape’s committee chairman; and Germaine Bennett, CityScape’s board president, celebrate the unveiled theme of this year’s StreetScape planting day, set for May 30.

YOUNGSTOWN — As many people eagerly dust off what they hope will be the last particles of winter and prepare to usher in a fresh palate of spring, some of the first signs of bright color have already emerged indoors.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to shake off winter and begin thinking about green grass, flowers, downtown pots and our opportunity to get downtown ready for a terrific summer,” Scott Schulick, Youngstown StreetScape’s committee chairman, said.

Schulick was referring to a main thrust behind Youngstown CityScape’s 29th annual kickoff breakfast and program Friday morning at the former IBM building, 250 E. Federal St., downtown.

Friday also marked the first official day of spring.

The gathering, at which several dozen community leaders and others attended, marks the beginning of fundraising efforts for the yearly StreetScape planting day, set for 9 a.m. to noon May 30 in and around Central Square, downtown.

Unveiled at Friday’s program was this year’s StreetScape patriotic theme, “Red, white & bloom,” in keeping with the nation’s 250th anniversary and numerous America250 celebrations and events throughout this year for the occasion. As a result, red, white and blue flowers will be planted in the corridor.

In his remarks, Schulick ticked off a series of CityScape’s achievements last year that include the 17th annual “Sparkle Youngstown’s Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting” event in December that drew and estimated 15,000 to the corridor, along with the 19th annual Beautification Awards in which 20 businesses, organizations and individuals were recognized for keeping their properties in pristine condition.

Another accomplishment was the 16th annual Grass Roots gathering in which H. William Lawson, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s executive director, and the MVHS were honored, Schulick continued.

In addition to beautifying the city and surroundings, the planting day also is about seeding something that promises to produce growth for a longer duration than any flowers, Sharon Letson, the nonprofit CityScape’s executive director, said.

“It’s really a day that’s about community,” as well as “building a greater sense of pride and place,” Letson added.

Volunteers will be sought to plant the flowers, remove weeds and litter and add mulch to flowerbeds in the downtown corridor as well as Wick Park and elsewhere around Youngstown, she explained. Letson added that additional partners are needed to make the downtown corridor more aesthetically pleasing for business owners and other stakeholders.

Another key achievement in 2025 was continued renewal work on CityScape at Briel’s, formerly Briel’s Flowers and Greenhouse, 2621 S. Belle Vista Ave., on the West Side, Letson said. The project is close to being finalized.

The greenhouse closed in 2020 after 96 years in business. In 2021, Youngstown CityScape bought the property.

The 102-year-old former floral business is having a series of glass panels replaced with material that is more durable and energy-efficient, she said, adding that many flower varieties that will be used during planting day are grown at the site. In addition, the Mahoning County Land Bank and other partners use the space, Letson said.

After completion, CityScape at Briel’s also will be used for classes and horticulturally-related education activities.

Also, renovations to a nearby 90-year-old home that will serve as a related resource center have wrapped up, at an estimated $500,000 cost, she said.

During the program Friday, a $50,000 check presentation was made from an emotional John Lapin, Ohio One Corp.’s former operations director, via video in memory of his late son, Jared E. Lapin of Chicago, formerly of Poland. When he was visiting the Mahoning Valley, the younger Lapin often joined his father in volunteering for the planting days.

Jared Lapin died June 1, 2025 — one day after last year’s planting day — from pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. He was 41.

Plans are in the works to establish a scholarship in the younger Lapin’s name at Poland Seminary High School, where he graduated in 2002 before graduating cum laude from the University of Michigan in industrial engineering.

Letson described the check as a legacy gift, saying, “We’re going to keep this fund to have a very special legacy kind of projects that keep Jared in our memory.”

“It is an opportunity for his legacy to live on,” she added.