Does anyone know what's happening with the Stambaugh building? Many of the windows have been removed. Are they just replacing the windows, or are there bigger plans?
I guess this is probably related:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jun/05/pane-glass-window-falls-from-bw-3-in-downtown/?newswatch
I wonder if they will actually fix the windows, or just board them up. ::)
Did BW-3 close?
I've heard the Streetscape group has to rearrange their plans for the Saturday, June 7 flower planting. Tents will have to be pitched at another location.
East Federal is closed in front of the building. The parking lot next to BW-3 is closed. There is no access to the sidewalks around the building.
In the photo below, only a few windows are left in the upper floors.
It looks like there are hardly any windows left in the place, how many fell out, and how many were missing in the first place? Talk about a pedestrian nightmare, half of downtown is under contruction, and the other half has falling windows...
Here's a picture I took this May.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c265/jr221/05-13-08%20Downtown%20Ytown/DCP_1207.jpg)
There were a few missing window panes, but all of the windows were still there. (I think the missing panes blew in during last summer's big storm.) I don't know why they took out so many, unless they were inspected and deemed to be unstable.
I just hope they replace the windows (and not with plywood!!!) before any bad weather can damage the building.
Frangos doesn't want the building, and probably wishes he could be rid of it. I fear for the survival of this structure. Its on the National Register. I think that a grassroots effort needs to be created that would advocate for the preservation of this building.
Here is what Frangos said about the Stambaugh Building in a Vindicator article from last year:
Frangos is optimistic about the successes of the Wick, Realty and Erie projects. But not so with two other buildings he co-owns: the Stambaugh Building on East Federal Street and the Paramount Theatre on West Federal Street.
Frangos co-owns Stambaugh with Platia Square LLC, a New York City company. The building's sale price was $1.15 million, but Frangos said his company and Platia put up only a small amount of that money, and Stambaugh's ownership will probably revert back to the Seattle company that had owned it. The building's lone rent-paying tenant is Buffalo Wild Wings. Peregrine falcons nest on the building's roof.
"It would make a great hotel site, but we've been told it would cost $15 million" for that project, Frangos said. "It's cost-prohibitive."
So what will the Seattle based company do with the building when they get control of it again? Hopefully find another buyer for it, or at least stabilize the structure.
Some historical background on the Stambaugh Building:
Replacing the old Park Hotel, the Stambaugh started out its life as Euwers Department Store, one of the first Ohio department stores to have an in store restaurant. After the department store moved further up West Federal Street, the building was converted into an office building. later becoming the first corporate headquarters for the Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Standard Slag. The Sheet and Tube remained there until the 1950's when it built its new Corporate headquarters in Boardman. Standard Slag remained in the building until it went out of business.
Other major tenants over the years were Pennsylvania Electric Company, Western Union and People's Bank.
Note: The top four floors were added when the Sheet and Tube moved into the building.
For those interested, I have set up an album on pictures of the Stambaugh Building over the years at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/ladynews500
The two pictures labled Euwers are the earliest pictures I have of this building.
In one picture you will see part of the Second National Bank which predates the Stambaugh Building.
I would like to know the exact date that it was built because I know that the earliest picture I have of it was takes in 1910, a date that I can confirm because of the presence of the Bijou Theater next to the First National Bank (Chase Bank for those who are not history buffs.)
I think it was built in 1906, with the 4 additional floors added in 1913.
Dan Rivers did a whole program today on the Stambaugh Building, and it wasn't encouraging. The Mayor is furious, and the Building Inspector ordered the owners to stop taking out windows and replace the ones taken out. The owner made it clear that he has no plans for the building leaving us to wonder what he'll do with the other downtown buildings he owns.
If you missed the program, you can go to the Radio 570 web site tomorrow and get a replay of the program.
With most of the windows removed, the rains will enter and the deterioration of the building will be accelerated.
Does this developer really care about historic preservation? :'( :'(
So, if I'm understanding correctly, they plan on just taking out all of the windows and leaving it that way? And the city is trying to force them to replace the windows?
Really, I'm suprised, the building doesn't look like it's in that bad of shape, you would think that someone would want to do something with it, at least maintain it.
It wasn't that long ago that folks here were singing the praises of the owner of the Stambaugh Building because of what he said he was doing with other downtown buildings. This clown doesn't deserve any praise until he proves he is serious by actually completing the projects such as the Wick Building; the Eroe Terminal Building and the Reality Building. Talk is cheap, and that is all we have from him so far.
Here is a complete list of downtown buildings that Frangos owns:
St. Vincent Depaul building
Erie Terminal building
Chase Bank Building
Wick Building
First National Bank Building
Reality Building
213 West Boardman
Stambaugh Building
Stambaugh Parking Lot
Stambaugh Parking Deck
Plaza Parking Deck
Harshman Building
Sounds like half of the downtown!
This information was being circulated on the local internet this morning.
QuoteRecently, Preservation Magazine (the publication of the National Trust) published an entire issue on "green" preservation. It notes that tossing out an important element of an old building, such as the windows, is wasting all the resources that went into creating them. Replacing windows wastes all the water and energy that went into the frames, the manufacture, and the glass. The wood in old frames is of significantly higher quality than that grown today. In addition, even old single-paned windows do not waste as much energy as replacing them can be. (There are many places in an old building where more energy is wasted.) Replacement windows simply are not as well made and often need to be replaced again in as little as ten years. The old ones can be reset in the frame and the glass reputtied â€" and they will be about as good as new. These and other facts are renovations can be found at
http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/public-policy/our-position-on.html
Were the windows removed rom the inside? May the old windows still exist inside the building? If so that may be an option, just refurbish the old windows and replace them.
If Lou Frangos is going to treat the Stambaugh Building in such a shabby way, how is he going to treat the other downtown buildings he owns?
Take the First National Bank Tower building for example. Perhaps the most beautiful downtown building, or the Chase bank building, the second most impressive downtown building, will he allow them to deteriorate to the point that they can't be salvaged?
When he started buying up buildings he made a lot of grand promises, but can they be trusted?
He plans to turn the Reality Building into a condo, but seeing what he’s doing with the Stambaugh Building will prospective buyers trust him? For my part, I wouldn't.
It would be a crime if the Stambaugh Building were demolished and turned into a parking lot, and before that happens, the city must step in and not only see to it that this doesn’t happen but if necessary seize control of the building and turn it over to a commission made up of:
Pete Asimakopoulos, regional president of First National Bank.
John DeFrance, of Olsavsky-Jaminet Architects.
Ronald Faniro, architect for Ronald Cornell Faniro Architects Inc.
Paul Hagman, president of Sweet Jenny Land Company.
Richard E. Mills, president of the Ohio One Corporation.
Scott Schulick, vice president of investments for Butler Wick Co.
Raymond Jaminet, president of Olsavsky-Jaminet Architects
who would oversee its future on behalf of the city with veto powers.
Further that this group should also be involved with Frangos’ other downtown building holdings:
Erie Terminal
Chase Bank Building
213 West Boardman Street
First National Bank Tower
Harshman Building
St Vincent DePaul Building
Reality Towers
A clear message must be sent out to Frangos that the City of Youngstown will not tolerate the destruction of the most significant buildings in the city or fly by night speculators.
Afterthought:
Could he be seeing the Stambaugh property as a parking facility for the Reality Towers condo?
UPDATE ON THE STAMBAUGH BUILDING: http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/jun/13/window-plan-is-set-for-stambaugh-building/?newswatch
This was taken from a Business Journal article:
“It’s beautiful historic building,†Frangos told reporters this afternoon after he met with city officials more than an hour in Mayor Jay Williams’ office. “I don’t know how these rumors get started.â€
Gee, he doesn't know how those rumors get started? Well lets see. First he kicks the tenants out of the Stambaugh building, then he says last year that the building is a "lost cause". Then he has his people rip all of the windows out. Well duh, the only thing that he didn't do was apply for a demolition permit!
According to the Vindy article, the building magically gained a thirteenth floor without anyone's knowlege!