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According to the land bank this is the largest number of properties the city has acquired at a single time.
More than 700 vacant lots and properties are now controlled by the city of Youngstown. In 2024 the city acquired the properties through sheriff deeds, gifts from out-of-state owners, foreclosures and demolition work.
“You’ll see the blight getting removed. We’re trying to clean up [and] were trying to promote like ‘Hey we’re open for business now’,” Stephen Biroschak, land bank administrator for Youngstown said
According to the land bank this is the largest number of properties the city has acquired at a single time.
“Throughout the last few decades, there’s been a lot of demolition in the city. And then recently in the last couple of years, a lot more aggressive demolition,” Biroschak said.
Biroschak told 21 News that 95% of the lots are residential. However, with help from community planning agencies like Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, they are hoping to attract a variety of new development.
“We [have] a lot of like, site analysis going on right now. We’re working with Eastgate on site strategies [and] trying to look for industrial purpose use. Currently, we’re looking at new construction programs,'” Biroschak said
The city already has a project for veterans underway, which will be located near the corner of Hillman Street and West Warren Avenue. According to Biroschak, construction on that project is scheduled to begin sometime this year.
“We have one project right now with helping veterans with housing at the moment. So that’s one project that’s currently on the books,” Biroschak said.
