Downtown Youngstown business owners say the demolition of the Realty building, paired with ongoing construction, is hurting their profits.

Bistro 1907's Mark Canzonetta says he's out at least $300,000 personally since the SMART2 road project started and the explosion forced him to close.

The owner of Downtown Circle Convenience & Deli says sales are down 50-percent with the demolition and construction deterring customers from walking down to his shop.

The owner of Avalon Downtown Pizzeria says she's taken a massive hit.

"My sales have change in the six figures mark," Anne Massullo-Sabella said.

While owners like Massullo-Sabella watch their dollars dwindle, other smaller struggling urban cities facing economic hurdles have been on the receiving end of help in the past.

JobsOhio's Vibrant Communities Grants have funded revitalization projects to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in Zanesville, Urbana and Shawnee.

While it works to attract new businesses, it also claims to help retain them.

"They have not reached out to me at all directly one bit," Mark Canzonetta.

"No we have not heard from anybody yet," Massullo-Sabella said.

JOBSOHIO'S FUNDING STRUCTURE

JobsOhio is a non-profit, which leases the state liquor franchise that generates millions.

Prior to 2011, all of that money was part of the state budget.

JobsOhio received $355 million in net liquor profits in 2022 and $338 million in 2021.

Valley stakeholders including the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, Eastgate Council, Western Reserve Port Authority, Trumbull and Mahoning County Commissioners contributed a combined $1 million this year to help form the Lake to River JobsOhio regional partnership.

Other businesses that serve or sell alcohol told 21 News they had not yet heard from JobsOhio.

JobsOhio denied 21 News' request for an on-camera interview about possible ways it could help the businesses in downtown Youngstown.

A JobsOhio spokesperson tells 21 News, they don't help businesses like restaurants and hotels, instead focusing on trade sectors that would trickle down to support service sectors.

But restaurant owner Mark Canzonetta sees it differently. 

"We need people from the suburbs to support this restaurant or we would be out of business, so I get what they're saying, yeah, that trickle down effect, but I think the money we spend on booze, they could pass out $20-$25,000 grants to the business owners that are really, really impacted down here," he said.

Massullo-Sabella wants the state to send resources.

"I would ask them to please consider declaring this a national disaster, because it has effected all of us, it's been a lot," she said. "This was something that was out of everyone's control."

FINDING A PATH FORWARD

The regional chamber is in the process of reaching out to leaders within the community to find the best strategy in providing downtown businesses additional support.

"We are working very closely with the city administration and with private sector stakeholders," Guy Coviello said, CEO of the regional chamber.

Coviello says the chamber is exploring ways to help reboot downtown Youngstown after all of the demolition and construction work is complete.

"The city has it on its radar to seek assistance from JobsOhio," he said.

The financial ripple effect could extend beyond the restaurants and bars.

The Mahoning County Convention and Visitor's Bureau says its monitoring the impact of the temporary closure of the Doubletree hotel. It's too early to know how much of an impact the county could see in lost lodging tax.

Mahoning County has 37 hotels. It's also the time of year that lodging increases at hotels across the county.