A recently released Youngstown State University analysis indicates that $21 million spent on demolition and rehabilitation of vacant Mahoning County structures generated an economic impact worth more than $33 million.

The report from YSU’s Williamson College of Business was commissioned by the Mahoning County Land Bank, looking back over a 10-year period. It reports that for each $1 spent through the land bank’s work, $1.43 to $1.50 in benefits were returned.

Indeed, we applaud efforts to beautify Youngstown and Mahoning County with blight removal. The work of the Mahoning County Land Bank, a nonprofit corporation that acquires vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent properties with hopes of making them productive again, has been invaluable in ridding our area of blight.

But beyond immediate concerns of blight removal lies another, and in many ways, more significant question: What comes after demolition?

The vast amount of vacant land in Youngstown is increasing. We believe it is time to slow these ongoing demolition efforts and turn our focus from greening to redeveloping the land left empty in so many areas — whether it’s retail or other commercial development or construction of new homes in residential areas.

Few residents would argue against removal of blighted structures. These efforts help to make neighborhoods more secure, remove potentially dangerous buildings and improve property values.

But let’s face it. By itself, demolition does not spur new investment — particularly in a city with high poverty and unemployment.

The key, of course, is to balance demolition with plans and programs to spur new investment.

The housing shortage in the Mahoning Valley and across Ohio is significant. Vacant land in the city and in neighborhoods is ripe for new construction. Such new construction would serve as an inviting welcome to area newcomers.

In his bid for the Democratic nomination in the Youngstown mayoral race earlier this year, Youngstown City Councilman Julius Oliver said he planned to create habitable home incentives so that, instead of tearing down stable homes, his plan would have worked with city agencies and banks to offer incentives and help facilitate access to credit for potential homeowners to stabilize and occupy these homes.

Indeed, that is the right approach.

Now Youngstown is offering property tax breaks on new construction as part of its Community Reinvestment Area program, an effort to incentivize new growth.

While we aren’t sure 100 percent property tax abatements are the right answer, we are pleased to see the city taking an aggressive new approach in its attempts to redevelop.

Undoubtedly, we should be focused on blight removal and beautification.

But, just sending in the bulldozers is never enough. Now, we must remain focused on what’s next.

editorial@vindy.com