From the Business Journal

By Dan O’Brien
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – An engineering and architectural firm is relocating from Canfield to downtown, bringing with it somewhere between 12 and 15 jobs.

CT Consultants will lease 3,660 square feet on the fifth floor in the 20 Federal Place building, owned by the city, its economic development director, T. Sharon Woodberry, told the Board of Control Thursday. “They’re a great professional firm to add to the building,” she said.

CT Consultants should be moved in by next month.

The Board of Control approved the lease this morning. CT will occupy space on the same floor as Power Direct, a call center that anticipates adding 400 new jobs downtown over three years.

From the Business Journal

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Realty Building in Youngstown is one of 11 historic renovation projects to receive awards through the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. The total estimated value of the tax credit for the project is $1,896,280.

The tax credit program, which awards refundable tax credits to owners of historic buildings who renovate and rehabilitate the buildings in preparation for commercial or residential uses, provides recipients with tax credits equal to 25% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures, said Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.

"These 11 projects will add to our statewide inventory of one-of-a-kind historic buildings that will serve new and exciting purposes and support economic development while preserving the history of the communities in which they reside," said Fisher, who also serves as director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The revitalization of these historic buildings supports not only redevelopment of these buildings, but the state's overall goal to invest in enhancing and finding new uses for existing places and infrastructure."

From the Business Journal

By George Nelson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A Cleveland-based telemarketing services company plans to bring as many as 400 jobs to Youngstown over the next three years, beginning with 100 in 2008.

The Youngstown Initiative Committee recommended an incentive package Thursday for Power Direct to locate a call center at 20 Federal Place downtown. The new center will provide inbound and outbound call services, said T. Sharon Woodberry, city economic development director.

From the Business Journal

By Dennis LaRue
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – One indicator of the new vitality of the downtown is six parties’ interest in leasing the first floor of the John R. Davis Building that the Sweet Jenny Land Co. is restoring and rehabilitating, Reid Dulberger said Tuesday.

As acting president of the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., Dulberger had other good news on the comeback of the downtown at the CIC board’s monthly meeting yesterday.

Construction of the Taft Technology Center is on schedule and on budget albeit a change order of $1,750 was approved to increase the thickness of the roof and thus extend its life.