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Since USA Parking has bought up all the big properties and claims they are making condos and apartments out of them-and it has been about three years and none of the buildings have been converted here is my proposal to the big 3 twenty-somethings.

They should buy any of the very small buildings in the downtown area that is either owned by the CIC or privately and build ther little dream house(s).

I'm sure they will get big money from the city for doing such a thing.

If they wait for others to do their building for them they will be well into their 40's before the next snake oil salesman comes into the city saying he will build.

There will never-not ever be a viable downtown housing market.

Are the big 3 single? Think their wives if they have them or if they get married will allow them to live downtown? What about when they have children? Is 10 more trees going to make it that much nicer of an enviornment for kids?

Jay Williams continues to fiddle over things like the downtown area needing trees or parking while the rest of the city burns in poverty, crime, abanonded housing. rapes, murder, robberies and the flight of anyone who can get out.

The big 3-are well intentioned but in denial. Youngstown is the &^*(hole of Ohio, which is the $%^&hole of the United States.

why don't you leave then?? you are so depressive.

To Above:

Kilgore Trout is an example of the mentality that folks like Kidd, etc are fighting against.

Kilgore Trout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They should buy any of the very small buildings in
> the downtown area that is either owned by the CIC
> or privately and build ther little dream
> house(s).

This is exactly what's being done with the Davis building, next to the Draught House.

I think one of the larger hurdles to overcome, regarding downtown housing, is secure parking. I think an upscale condo unit could possibly make a go of it, if it had secure, out-of-the-weather parking. Either basement-level parking or an attached parking deck, but security would be the key. Nobody's going to want to live there if their cars take a beating from weather, crooks, and so on.

Kilgore

You've got my name. Now here's my number 330.518.4817. Now give a call and I'll set up a time to show you the incredible, world class technologies that are coming out of just one building in downtown Youngstown. Technologies that are being built by about 200 of the brightest young people our area has ever produced. Young people who work, play and would like to live downtown.

Or you can just choose to be an anonymous, bitter, loser who lurks at his keyboard all day because he has nothing to do and nothing to contribute.

Your choice.

Great Post Cossler!

Jim:

You just described about %75-%80 of the people I see on this board

>>. . . an anonymous, bitter, loser who lurks at his keyboard all day because he has
>>nothing to do and nothing to contribute.

I love how Youngstown is finally starting to turn around and all people can do is belittle the progress that has been made and haggle the people who are optimistic about the city. Do these negative people realize that they are not going to wake up one day and the city's problems will be solved? Quite to the contrary, it's going to be a one-step-at-a-time thing. Progress is going to be slow. But guess what, a revitalization of downtown (which IS in fact occuring) is a BIG step in the right direction. Is downtown revitalization going to eliminate poverty on the South Side? No. But it may help the situation. If the "new" downtown successfully creates jobs (which apparently is happening with the Incubator), and downtown housing creates a need for, let's say, a grocery store or more restaurants, that means even more jobs in the city for city residents. And again, more jobs wont eliminate poverty, but it would be yet another step in the right direction.

However, in defense of the negative people, I must admit that I never saw Youngstown in its heyday. In fact I don't think any of my twenty-somethings peers saw a bustling downtown with movie theaters, department stores, etc... If I had watched the decline, seen my lovely South Side neighborhood fall into disrepair, and watched my neighbors torch their houses out of sheer desparation, I too might be a little negative. I would probably hate Youngstown. And THAT Youngstown is never coming back. So maybe it's a good thing that these twenty-somethings are getting involved in Youngstown. All we've known is a dead city that nobody ever went to. So yes, a revitalized downtown is a cool thing for us to see. It's exciting. And it's something we can be proud of. Because after all, it's our community too and we're working together and helping to make it better.

Tom Hetrick
Proud Valley resident, YSU grad, and supporter of downtown establishments