YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s board of control approved a $2.99 million contract for work to replace 470 lead waterlines on the North Side — about half of the project’s estimated cost.

“We knew the (estimated) number was high, but the number we received was much lower than we expected,” said Water Commissioner Harry L. Johnson III. “We knew it would be lower, but not this low. That number exceeded our expectations. I’m very happy with that number.”

The board on Thursday voted to sign a $2,992,626 contract for the work with Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. of Youngstown. City council had approved in February spending up to $5,799,516 for the project based on an engineer’s estimate.

The project should begin in June and take about six months to finish, Johnson said.

The work includes the Crandall Park water main on Gypsy Lane from Logan to Goleta avenues and the replacement of about 470 lead waterlines on Fifth Avenue, Tod Lane, Belmont Avenue and Gypsy Lane.

Council in June 2025 voted to authorize the board of control to enter into joint loan agreements for the work with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Agency.

Also, the city is borrowing the money through the EPA’s Water Supply Revolving Loan Account, which forgives 50% of the money that is loaned, providing a larger cost savings for the city.

“I’m very excited about that,” Johnson said. “We’re able to remove lead waterlines at half of the cost.”

The city has removed more than 1,000 other lead waterlines in the past few years using the state revolving loan program that forgives half of the cost.

20 Federal Place

Also Thursday, the board signed off on paying $64,329 to H&J Restoration Specialists of Poland for work it did in March to clean up a large section of bricks that fell off the city-owned 20 Federal Place and landed on the roof of a nearby building, to remove other loose bricks and put up a covering over that portion of the structure to make sure others don’t fall.

Council authorized the payment at its Wednesday meeting.

The large section of bricks that fell off 20 Federal Place, which has sat vacant for close to four years, landed on the roof of 16 Wick Ave. No damage was caused to the roof of the adjacent building.

The city had to spend about $175,000 in August 2024 in repair work to 20 Federal Place after the floor and the wall between the upper three floors of the nine-story building separated.

The building has been empty since tenants were evicted in 2022.

There have been two failed attempts to redevelop it, with the second failure in August 2025, resulting in $24 million in state and federal tax credits for the building to go unused.

City council approved legislation in January to permit the Western Reserve Port Authority to seek buyers for a number of city-owned properties, including 20 Federal Place. It was an update to a June 2020 contract that listed specific parcels.