My name is Nathan and I am a student at YSU. I am taking a course that is involved with the Youngstown 2010 program, and this past week we went to Cleveland to see some of the redevelopment they have done there around Jacobs Field and the like. I am greatly encouraged and excited to see what they have done and what can be done in Youngstown. I would like to know what you think will be the outcome of the convocation center? Will it drasticly improve Front Street and West Federal Street? If not, what couold be done to help the covocation center and the surrounding areas?
I feel the location of the Convocation Center is too far away from the west end to help the businesses that are located in that area.
I don't feel that the Convocation Center will help many of the existing restaurants in the downtown area, at least not to the extent that it should. Many people do not realize that the Convocation Center will have a half dozen eateries within the building itself. I doubt if many people who eat while in the complex will then go and dine at a downtown Youngstown restaurant afterwards.
Here's how I view it. During a concert you most likely don't go and eat in the middle in the building, so when the concert is over there will be 7,000 people leaving the place looking for something to eat. And that is where the bars and new restaurants downtown will benefit.
Also after sporting events it will help out too mainly because of the bars.
I see this helping the southern-western end around Front Street well.
I do expect within a year a Hotel will open in downtown, they will totally renovate and old building down there.
I think that the new Convocation Center will help breathe
life back into the entire downtown area... even if there
are "eateries" inside the center, some folks will probably
want to get something to eat BEFORE attending an event
inside the Convocation center.
One thing that the existing downtown restaurants can do
when the center opens is to find out what kinds of food
are available inside, and then make sure that they put
some fare on their menues that is NOT available at the
Convocation Center.
The existing restaurants should also rent some space
directly across the street from the Convocation Center
and put up a billboard, as large as possible, alerting
those coming to the center of their presence in the
downtown area.
As far as hotels go, Youngstown State University is
already in the process of reopening the Wick-Pollock
Inn - that is a good start.
Are any of the old hotel buildings downtown still
standing? (ie: The Voyager, etc)
How much do you want to bet that a Starbuck's Coffee
Shope (or similar) pops up VERY close to the center
(if not right across the street) when it opens?
The Voyager was demolished years ago. A Federal Courthouse is now on that location.
The Bean Counter Coffee Shop is located in the first floor of the Realty Building. At this time, we do not need a second coffee shop on the east end.
The bean counter is expanding for some more room now.
But yeah a Starbucks or Panera will pop up real soon.
Jay:
Just how many coffee shops do you think the downtown area can sustain? 1 - 5 - 10 - 25?
Do you really think that the area can support two or three coffee shops on every block of downtown Youngstown?
Not to speak for him but I mean two downtown would be nice.
As far as any of the hotels still being in downtown: I know that the old Pick Ohio building is still standing. From what I know it may or may not still be used by the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority. I could be wrong on this, if anyone knows any more about it, I would love to know.
http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/youngstown/youngstown.html
has a picture and brief description
I've seen a couple photos of the Pic-Ohio Hotel building,
and it is DEFINITELY large enough to be made back into
a hotel, if things go well once the new Convocation
Center opens up - who knows? Maybe someone will buy
this property and convert it back into a hotel again(?)
Allan
:)
I read recently of the y-town convocation center's website forum that there are rumors of the Legal Arts Building (where the Hub restaurant was located) could be converted into a hotel. Anyone have info on that?
Well I do beleive it is a fact that the Hotel would inhabit a current building.
Maybe a MARRIOTT or HAMPTON INN
A downtown hotel would definitely be a great boon to the area. The redevelopment of the Wick-Pollock inn is also a great idea, but there's no way it could handle the stream of people that the convocation center hopes to attract. It will be a great supplementary place of lodging, though.
In order for the downtown to thrive, it needs to have people occupying it 24/7, including both residents (lets hope the condominium projects take off) as well as tourists. But I'm very hopeful. The Smoky Hollow redevelopment project will also bring hundreds of residents who will more than likely patronize downtown simply because of its close proximity. I'd love to see a similar project occur in the Wick Park area of the city, only with the focus being on restoration instead of redevelopment (keep it historic! Bring in some investors who will restore homes to their orignal beauty instead of letting them fall prey to the wrecking ball. I long for the day when there is not a single boarded-up window left in the Wick Park neighborhood). Let's hope that the downtown blooms and spreads the positive energy throughout the city's neighborhoods as well.
I've been to Buffalo and Cleveland to stay downtown and each were all new in there ENTERTAINMENT District and were built into old dilapidated buildings. Maybe totally renovate that building across from the new Children's Services Building and across from the new Courthouse....
Anyways WICK POLLOCK Is to far away from anything in downtown!
Hey SHARONITE I Sent you a PRIVATE MESSAGE AT DOWNTOWN YOUNGSTOWN.COM
Hey come and join my site.. http://youngstown.rr.nu/index.php?act=site
AS far as Wick park is concerned they are indeed planning a community similar to Smokey Hollow that will be built around the park and the existing homes. More good things are comming to Youngstown!
YoungstownNewsandViews is absolutely right...who wants to walk four blocks to six blocks to get to an event. Who wants to take a WRTA shuttle?
Well let me tell you something, it hasn't hurt the S-O-L-D O-U-T events at Powers Auditorium.
Here's a possibe solution.
Kick the old folks that live at the International Towers out onto the street and turn that building into a hotel, and while your at it, kick out the residents of the old Hotel Ohio, and make it a hotel again.
Even if that were done, just think about the fact that people would have to walk two to three blocks to the Convocation Center, POOR SOULS!
Oh the crulity of it all!
I don't know about kicking the old people out (that is very illegal) but I do think we should redevelop the Pick Ohio Hotel into a hotel. And as far as walking, Kitten, I assume you are being sarcastic? The idea around the convo center is that there is little or no parking at the actual center so that you walk from say the parking lot where the master's tuxedo block is on W. Federal to the center. Along the way you "run into" the businesses there and patronize them before or after the event.
First: The Old Hotel Ohio is owned by YMHA and houses people, so it's not available.
I am being sarcastic about tossing the old folks out of their homes - Amedia Plaza [Hotel Ohio Bldg.], and International Towers.
My point is that for all these years since Powers opened, there was no big problem about having to walk several blocks after parking the car, so why should it be a big deal for the Convocation Center.
I get sick and tired of people who are unhappy if they have to walk more than five steps to get to where they want to go.
If they're too lazy to walk a couple of blocks to get to the Convocation Center then stay home!
These same people don't object to walking a few blocks to go to a baseball or football game up at Cleveland, so why gripe here?
Give 'em a good show, and they will walk through holy fire and ice to attend. Again Powers is a perfect example.
I was talking with someone with the city at lunch today and they said a certain hotel chain wants to come downtown.
for the sake of the city i won't go blabber out the company.
but they think if anything would happen it would be by summers end to have it by november.