Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation Neighborhood Stabilization Program Assistant Jasmine Pierce, left, talks to James and Wanda Washington at the Greater Glenwood Neighborhoods open house Tuesday evening at the Jaylex Center on Glenwood Avenue. The event gave residents a chance to learn about YNDC’s recent studies and give feedback to help the organization better focus its efforts on Youngstown’s South Side.

YOUNGSTOWN — The stated central purpose of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is “to foster the transformation of vulnerable, undervalued and transitional neighborhoods into…places where people are willing to invest their time, energy and resources and where residents can manage their own problems.”

On Tuesday, YNDC gave South Side residents a chance to inform that process.

After at least six months of canvassing the homes along the Glenwood Corridor and surrounding neighborhoods, YNDC rolled out the next phase of its “Greater Glenwood Plan” with an open house at the Jaylex Center on Glenwood Avenue.

The plan, YNDC says, will guide its reinvestment strategies for those South Side neighborhoods connected by Glenwood Avenue.

“We’ve spent the past six months or so attempting to listen to what many of our neighbors in this broader area along Glenwood have told us,” said Executive Director Ian Beniston. “So we’ve gone door-to-door to every house. We’ve obtained hundreds of surveys. That’s informed all of these things that you see here tonight. So we heard priorities from folks as to how we can do better the next five years, things we need to continue to work on. Tonight, we’d love to have further feedback from you all on these strategies, on these stations that we have.”

The stations covered a broad array of topics, both providing and seeking information from attendees.

One asked: “What’s missing in our neighborhoods? Residents placed pink dot stickers where they thought the community needed help — youth programs, community policing, job training and employment services, ride share and transit, mental health services, childcare, and several other options.

Another sought input on distributing neighborhood news — an e-newsletter, a Facebook group and text alerts were among the 10 options offered.

Another board simply asked residents what the important topics are — safety and crime, street projects, service updates, housing resources, youth and family programs? Those and another five were suggested.

YNDC also sought input on safety. Residents were asked to place red and green stickers on one map — green for areas they perceived as safe, and red for the unsafe spots. Another board showed YNDC’s scores for walking and biking for different neighborhoods like Newport, Glenwood, Idora, etc.

A board noted that the Midlothian and Glenwood intersection has one of the highest crash rates in Mahoning County. YNDC said engineers have recommended retrofitting the intersection to the way it was designed more than 60 years ago before highway expansion, and building a safer and more direct crossing to Lake Newport. YNDC also noted that a traffic signal at Glenwood and Parkview will be removed in the coming year, with engineering designs pending for two improved crosswalks.

A board at another station, led by Housing Director Tiffany Sokol, asked what types of housing are available in residents’ neighborhoods and if those housing types serve the community well.

Another board, using yellow stickers, showed pictures of several different vacant plots of land around the South Side and asked residents to suggest what types of new housing would be best for those spots.

YNDC provided just as much information as it requested. Another map, displayed in a separate room from the main gathering hall, showed the results of a field survey. It identified 41 tree problems, 455 sidewalk issues, 17 street sign issues, 523 occupied residences with roof problems, 344 occupied residences with other exterior issues, 155 vacant residential properties with delinquent taxes, 218 vacant residential properties with the taxes paid, eight vacant commercial properties with delinquent taxes, and 26 vacant commercial properties with paid taxes.

Another map showed the results of a YNDC study conducted from 2010 to 2026 showing the locations of boarded-up houses, commercial rehabilitation targets, home repair targets, new homes, tree planting sites, vacant home rehabs, vacant lots that have been greened over, and Fresh Market clients.

“The purpose of the plan,” Beniston said, “is to guide the work over the next five years. That’s not just the work of YNDC, but all of our collective work to improve the neighborhood, whether that be the city, the land bank, YNDC, our neighborhood groups. Having a neighborhood plan is about being proactive, about taking steps to listen, to hear, and put a plan together, so that we’re on a day-to-day basis doing things to make our neighborhoods better, make them stronger.”

Residents and community leaders all had thoughts on what the South Side has and what it needs.

The Rev. Robert Mitchell, pastor at Bethel Church of God in Christ on Glenwood Avenue, grew up in Akron and lives with his wife in Austintown, but as a faith leader in the South Side community, he is familiar with the problems he sees around his church and those his congregation share with him.

He believes one solution is obvious and easy for everyone to implement right away.

“People knew one another, people looked out for one another, and I believe it still works today,” he said. “We want to hopefully build a camaraderie with people in the community and to find out what needs and resources are available so people can have a go-to place within our community. Absolutely.”

While his church runs a food giveaway every other Wednesday — the next is May 20 — he said there is still plenty of work to be done. Mitchell said his church plans to build a community center next door that he hopes can be a rallying point for many in the Glenwood Corridor and surrounding areas.

“We have people that come to our church that may need assistance with raising their children, especially if they’re coming from-single parent (homes). We’re trying to…address every need possible for our community here on the South Side.”

Mitchell sees two big problems.

“The biggest issue, I would say, is crime, as well as the housing, especially when rent is almost a thousand dollars plus, especially when you’re limited with income,” he said. “So that’s usually the biggest thing that we’re seeing, and also not enough youth-oriented programs for our young people, especially from that 12 to 18 group.”

He said there’s another resource people can always turn to, and he hopes his church can provide it for everyone in need of it.

“I believe that we want to try to empower people and increase their faith,” he said. “There is still hope no matter what the world is going through and dealing with.”

Doris Townsend, originally an East-Sider from the Lincoln Knolls neighborhood, has lived on Volney Road since 2004. She’s inclined to agree with Mitchell that the first step in solving the problems is being a better neighbor.

“My biggest complaint is, neighbors keeping up their grass,” she said. “When you don’t cut your grass, that’s not good.”

Homes with high grass look abandoned, bring down property values and seem to invite trouble.

But Townsend said she doesn’t feel her neighborhood is in much trouble at all.

“I think it’s a nice area. I love my home, I love the area. My neighbors are very nice,” she said. “We look out for each other.”

There isn’t much crime at all, she said, and she’s even seen some economic development.

“Well, they have been building in my area. So that’s a wonderful thing, and most of the homes have already sold,” she said. “So I think that the neighborhood is coming up a bit, you know, and I’m satisfied with that.”

John Almos of Falls Avenue has a very young son, and he would like him to be able to play safely in the front yard. That’s not as easy as he’d like it to be right now.

“Definitely needs more safe streets, better crossings, more lighting,” he said. “Speeding, a lot of speeding, all the way from Hillside, Parkway, Parkview, Glenwood, Idora. We definitely need more stop signs, more traffic control.”

A good amount of housing repair is in order too, along with road repairs.

But for all the problems he’s aware of, Almos is optimistic just like Townsend.

“You turn around and see such a great showing, a great turnout for an event like this, and that counters it,” he said. “I truly believe people actually do care about their community more than you might think they do.”

He’s heard some rumors too that make him think better times are ahead.

“I’ve heard they’re trying to do some kind of shopping outlet, a shopping district,” he said. “I believe that would bring a lot more attention to the area, a lot more business, a lot more money and eventually with better business comes better traffic control, better repairs, sidewalks, lighting, all that stuff like that.”