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"Oakhill Renaissance Place Receives $75,000 Federal Grant"
"By Dan O'BrienYOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- A federal grant targeted for upgrades at the former Southside Medical Center, now operating as Oakhill Renaissance Place, is the right gift at the right time, officials said.U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio 17th) presented a ceremonial check for $75,000 Friday afternoon to the Southside Community Development Corp., the nonprofit organization that operates the facility. "These are the kinds of investments the federal government needs to make," Ryan said. "Those in the social services sector know these are difficult days. Don't lose your common drive, you are a success," he told a group of 30 assembled for the press event.The federal grant will pay for upgrades in the building's heating, cooling and ventilation system, said Robert Ferguson, chairman of the Southside Community Development Corp. The grant also leveraged a private donation of $50,000 from the John S. And Doris M. Andrews Trust, he noted.Herman Maass, former manager at General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown assembly plant and a member of nonprofit group's board of directors, said this is one of the last pieces of unfinished business he has in the Mahoning Valley. "Even though I've moved, I'm still with it. I believe in everything that's going on here. It's good for the community and the south side," he said.Maass retired from GM three years ago and now lives in Nashville.The improvements will save the Southside Community Development Corp. as much as $80,000 a year in operating expenses for Oakhill Renaissance Place, Ferguson said. "It's huge. It's just one component we can use to lower overall occupancy costs," he said.The grant comes at a crucial time with Oakhill Renaissance Place actively seeking new tenants for the building, said Adrian Byrne, executive director. The organization has offered to donate the facility to Mahoning County, an incentive intended to encourage the county to relocate some of its departments to the building.In April, representatives of Southside Community Development Corp. presented an offer to Mahoning County commissioners to relocate the Department of Job and Family Services to Oakhill (READ STORY). According to their calculations, the move would save the county $4 million over the first two years of a proposed 15-year lease.Since last year, county officials have been openly mulling terminating a month-to-month lease the department now holds with the Cafaro Co. of Youngstown. Since 1988, the county has rented space from Cafaro at the McGuffey Mall on Youngstown's east side. The county pays $449,000 annually to Cafaro.Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock initially advocated acquiring the Phar-Mor Centre in downtown Youngstown, with the city's help, and relocating the offices there.But the Cafaro Co. purchased the mortgage position on the building, nullifying any attempt by the county to buy the landmark structure built to house Strouss department store.With the Phar-Mor option now dead, Sherlock said she is now considering Oakhill Renaissance Place. Earlier this week, commissioners approved a resolution that allows officials to proceed with a study on Southside Community Development's latest offer to donate the building.In 1998, Forum Health closed its Southside Hospital and assisted in the formation of the Southside Community Development Corp. The organization has transformed the building into a multi-tenant facility that is intended to serve as an anchor for redeveloping the south side neighborhood.The former hospital now houses offices for the county coroner as well as Mahoning Valley Hospital, Oak Hill Pharmacy, Head Start, Mahoning Columbiana Training Association and the Youngstown Health Department. About 40% of the facility is leased, Byrne reported."