Mahoning Valley Forum

We all need to be organized at this very moment in order to have our voices heard as to the future of what is to become of the Paramount site.



I know what I want.  I want an urban park with a large fountain where people can relax at an outdoor Internet café.  Local bands can play at lunchtime.  I want beautiful plants and trees that draw people to this site.  This site can also be used for a farmers market.  Living in Pittsburgh it's amazing how many fountains of many sizes there are in downtown – I feel like I'm in a European piazza.  The Paramount site has the same possibilities.   

I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER PARKING LOT IN ANY WAY OF FORM!   



Maybe others feel differently then I do, but I think none of us want to see a parking lot.



"City officials are working on putting together a deal under which the property would be used for public parking during the day and possibly as a mini-amphitheatre at night. "There are ways that you can do that," Bozanich said. He acknowledged that an outdoor Internet café, mentioned as an option earlier in the week by Sarah Lown, the city's development incentive manager, was another possibility for the site."



How are we going to go about making our voices heard?

Glad to see that others share my thoughts on that property.

WHY SHOULD THE CITY FOOT THIS OUTDOOR PARK/INTERNET DREAN. LOU FRANGO IS THE CULPIT TO FOOT THIS ADVENTURE. HE IS THE ONE THAT PUT THIS YTOWN JEWEL AT DEATH'S DOOR DUE TO HIS CARPETBAG MENTALITY. THE CITY IS BROKE AND WILL NOT PUT THIS DREAM INTO REALITY. IT IS EASIER FOR THE CITY TO TEAR DOWN THE BLDG. AND PUT ASPHALT DOWN, WHITE STRIPS AND HERE IS THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS DREAM, A PARKING LOT OWNED BY AN OUTSIDER. YTOWN RESIDENTS WAKE UP AND TAKE ACTION IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BETTER FOR THE DOWNTOWN THEN A DOWNTOWN KNOW FOR PARKING LOTS WITH FORMER ICON FACADES AS A MEMORIAL TO YTOWN PAST.

Just some quick thoughts:  I agree that we don't need more parking!  I like the idea of a small, outdoor ampitheater.  And, saving the facade would lend itself to that use well, I think.

If the roof wasn't in such bad shape, I think the paramount would have been a great site for a year-round public farmers market. All you would need is a shell of a building.

I've said for 5 years now that this was the biggest eyesore in Downtown. It's about time the city had the guts to decide to knock it down.

How about  a small green space with benches?

WONDERFUL

I agree with the idea for a green space, maybe a small, outdoor concession stand
for coffee, sandwiches, etc  - served from one of those small "hot dog wagon"
type vendors...maybe a wireless "hot spot" for Internet junkies (ie: you pay $1 for an hour or so worth of wireless while relaxing there with your notebook pc...)

Would be a nice place for people who work downtown to take their lunch, etc..

      Keep it going, we have begun to define what should be in the greenspace. Now form a committee and sign up to speak before council.

I think that this is a FANTASTIC idea of greenspace. There are enough parking spaces downtown and I feel like we should voice our idea to Lou himself.

let lou frango foot the entire bill, he and his chicago partner bought the paramount to renovate and to restore it to its past glorious splendor. frango's partner was convicted of fraud in chicago and he is making license plates as a new career. the city must keep a close eye on frango's ytown downtown bldgs before they go by the waste side aka paramount theater. no local, state or federal monies should be spent on tearing down this bldg. frango must PAY all costs for this demolition of this project. annie gilliam, where are you? the downtown is in your ward. is annie gilliam meeting with frango on a ongoing basis to assure the ytown residents that the remaining downtown jewels that are owned by frango are in perfect conditions?

Iwas there, I know ALL about his friend from Chicago, in fact I have hard evidence and other things that accuse his partner of doing wrong. We chased him out of Youngstown once and I have no objections doing it again. I am going to do everything in my power to A/ Get the State facade cleaned up, and keep the Paramount up... I got a REALLY good response of Youngstown natives and supporters about the State facade remaining. I've spoke with Lou before and he is very VERY similar to his Chicago counter part. I am currently writing letters and emails about this. Show your support!

I've spoken before about the Paramount building and I won't repeat it here, but I do believe that Frango should be forced to pay all the costs of demolition and if it takes taking him to court to do it, so be it.

Why should the city be forced to pay all the costs even if some of the money would be state money?

 facade in front, green space with bocce courts in back...

i will show my support when lou frango is ran out town too.

Could someone please tell us what is so special about the front wall of the old Paramount building?

Take away the marque and that wall would look just like any old building.

Quote from: Towntalk on June 09, 2009, 12:06:19 PM
Could someone please tell us what is so special about the front wall of the old Paramount building?

Take away the marque and that wall would look just like any old building.

While I agree that the facade is not as spectacular as that of the State Theatre, it is MUCH more interesting and eye pleasing than the Voinovich buildings. Neo-classical facades at that scale are no longer produced because they are cost prohibitive. Removing such a large and important structure to downtown's history would be devastating to the street and would work to destroy the uniqueness that is downtown Youngstown.

It should be preserved, properly restored, and fully integrated into whatever development takes place on that site.

Can a wall that large be safely supported since the west end does not abut another building and would be free standing.

I agree with you about the State wall.

If part of the attached walls were preserved to help form an amphitheater with the facade, I'm sure that it could be properly anchored and secured. 

Like up to the first street level fire exit?

Sure! I think having an uneven tapering of the wall would actually look pretty cool.
I also envision some sort of plant-life aspect to it, like having spider plants growing off the ledge or having ivy cover the wall.

I don't think anyone wants to save the Hazel St. facade.  We're talking about the Federal St. facade. (at least I hope so)  The Federal St. facade is 3 stories - ground floor with old storefronts, mezzanine with former restrooms, and a third floor. (I guess that might have been offices?)  So, if they were going to save the facade of the Paramount in the same way they saved the facade of the State, then they would keep these front spaces to support the facade.  I like this idea because, theoretically, small businesses could move into the old storefronts - maybe leave the center open to access the open space where the old theater was.

But, another way to save the facade is to build a support structure of columns and tie the facade into them.  Then, remove the rest of the building.

I don't know what would be more cost-effective in this case because, if the first option is taken, there will have to be a small portion of new roof and structure created to replace what is there now, in addition to the wall at the back to enclose that side.

I'm not an expert, but I was involved in the project to save Warren Harding High School's facade.

The managers office was on the 2nd. floor and the 3rd. floor was the projection booth. When Jack Hines was the theater manager I use to deliver stuff to him.

I think this is the most logical way to save the facade, using the first method I described.  The cured wall is the back of the house / front of the projection booth.

That's the idea that I was referring, and it would also allow the projection booth to be used to show outdoor movies and provide an area for spots if a stage was built.

I was thinking it would be cheaper to remove the projection booth to make the new roof cheaper.  But, I think your idea is great!

By walling off the projection area the wall could be opened up for both the spots and sound equipment.

As to the toilets and office they could be upgraded.

The former Fanny Farmer Candy store and the other store are both very small but could be used.

When I worked downtown the store on the east side of the entrance was a sandwich shop.

Why couldn't the terra cotta on the Hazel Street side be salvaged and used elsewhere in the building?

Realist Alert Here:
The whole thing MUST and WILL be knocked down. No facade will be saved and the downtown area will look 100x better without that piece of trash building standing up.

Why save the facade, that is by far and away the UGLIEST part of the building. And folks, that will look very very dumb if you leave just the facade of a building up. It would look very awkward.

TEAR THE WHOLE THING DOWN!

Quote from: YtownNewsandViews on June 11, 2009, 06:04:15 PM
Realist Alert Here:
The whole thing MUST and WILL be knocked down. No facade will be saved and the downtown area will look 100x better without that piece of trash building standing up.

Why save the facade, that is by far and away the UGLIEST part of the building. And folks, that will look very very dumb if you leave just the facade of a building up. It would look very awkward.

TEAR THE WHOLE THING DOWN!

IMHO, the Paramount Theater is the second best looking building on that side of the block.  It just needs some TLC after being neglected for 30 years.

According to the Vindy article, the plan is to save the facade.  So what do you know that we don't?

I don't see what's so attractive about _______________________________  Look how much has been lost over the years already.  It's not like historic buildings with architectural character are an unlimited resource.  We need to save as much as we can.

It could be argued that downtown Massillon, (my hometown) with a population of about 30,000 people, already has as much (or more) intact urban fabric than what remains in downtown Youngstown.  Why are we continuing to make it worse?