With the loss of the building in the heart of downtown, community leaders worry the loss could impact the city's economy .

After the owner’s decision to have the Realty Building demolished in the near future, community leaders are afraid they could see a hole in the heart of Youngstown.

“It’s the core of the city. It’s the heart of our region. And when you lose that, you have a lot of other things that can happen,” said Scott Schulick, downtown Youngstown advocate and Chairman of Youngstown Cityscape.

Councilman Julius Oliver said he believes the building would need to be stabilized first. After that, he hopes residents will be able to get their belongings.

Oliver said he’s been in touch with people who want to preserve any part of the building they can because of its historical significance and its location in downtown.

Schulick has also been in contact with Oliver to discuss plans for the building and city moving forward. Because of the economic impact demolishing the tower would cause, Schulick said there should be discussions about saving the building.

“But if there is a stabilization that deems the building safe, does that mean that there is a possibility of saving it? So I think all cards should be on the table for everyone,” said Schulick.

If there is nothing that can be done to save the building, members of the community still want to help the city move forward.

Schulick said over 60 community leaders want to help in any way they can. He hopes to meet with the leaders in the upcoming weeks to talk about how the city can move forward.

Oliver isn’t sure how much it would cost to save the building. 

21 news reached out to the building’s owner to see if they would be interested in working with Schulick’s group, but the owner has not responded.

 

RELATED COVERAGE: