What is the status of the retail area that lined the east side of Belmont Avenue near Catalina/Francisca?
I can't speak of that specific area, but the biggest serge of retail businesses are occurring between Gypsy Lane and Churchill Road. I realize that you are pro Youngstown, and that's commendable, but since the bulk of Belmont is considered institutional thanks to St. Elizabeth Hospital, Park Vista complex, and two large cemeteries, we don't see Belmont Avenue as being a retail area within the city. In fact, the only area that ever was a true commercial area was around the old Belmont Shopping Plaza and north to Gypsy Lane, and after the demise of the Belmont Shopping Plaza many years ago, there hasn't been any interest in even trying to bring it back to life.
We here on the North Side are quite happy to do all our trade in the Belmont corridor between Gypsy Lane north, as it is really growing with three shopping plaza's; a couple of mini plaza's a goodly number of restaurants, two or three hotels, several banks, three supermarkets to name a few.
Would we deal at any new stores that located south of Gypsy Lane? Of course we would, but we are not all that hung up on doing all our trade within the city limits. We're very happy that there is such a wide variety of retail businesses on Belmont avenue that we don't need to do all our trade in Boardman. As a matter of fact though, as the Belmont Avenue corridor fills up, there will be interest in locating some businesses south of Gypsy Lane.
NOTE: The areas below and above Belmont are primarily residential.