Downtown Youngstown

Downtown Youngstown is the center of the city of Youngstown, and is shaping up to become the center for arts and entertainment in the Youngstown-Warren metropolitan area. It is the location of most government buildings and banks in the area, Youngstown State University, the Youngstown Convocation Center, Powers Auditorium, and several other landmarks in Mahoning County.

Downtown- 1970s-early 2000s

With the opening of the Southern Park Mall in the suburb of Boardman, the decline of the steel industry in the city, and the overall upward trend of suburbanization, downtown Youngstown went into a sharp decline. Businesses on Federal Street left in droves, and closing West Federal to traffic with the construction of Federal Plaza didn't help either. The department stores and movie theaters closed up shop, and most of the car dealerships left for the suburbs. By the 1990s, downtown became something of a ghost town, with virtually no activity, and also became a symbol of how deep Youngstown had fallen since it lost their steel mills.

Downtown- 2002-Present

Federal Street in downtown, 2005

By the early 2000s, Youngstown began to rise from the ashes of the economic decline, and began organizing for a citywide redevelopment plan known as Youngstown 2010, with one of the key points for the plan called for a downtown renaissance. One of the first plans was to re-open West Federal to traffic, which was completed in early 2005, and the re-opening has began an upward trend. While the department stores and businesses of yesterday may not return, many old buildings are being torn down to make way for new buildings, primarily government offices. In addition, many bars and restaurants have opened in the area, as well as the opening of the Youngstown Convocation Center, which has given Youngstown a professional hockey team and many events that were previously unable to perform in the city.

While all these accomplishments are impressive, downtown is still on the comeback trail, rebuilding the economy of the area, and trying to shed its negative self-image that has plauged it for many years now.

Links

downtownyoungstown.com Site run by downtown enthusiasts, featuring a forum, photo galleries, and news and events bulletins that concern downtown.