Demolition starts on one of downtown Youngstown’s biggest eyesores

Published: Sun, October 13, 2013 @ 12:05 a.m.

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The owners of the vacant Wean United Building, one of downtowns biggest eyesores, have come to a deal with city officials to start the demolition of about 60 percent of the 300,000-square-foot structure now.

If a tenant isnt found for the remaining 120,000-square-foot portion by May 2014, that will also come down.

A deal is signed between Gearmar Properties, which owns the Wean United property, and the city. It needs final approval from the citys board of control, which meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday to consider that.

Under the deal, Gearmar will take down about 180,000 square feet of the building, which it has already started, and try to find a tenant for the rest of the building. The company plans to sell the former Wean United structure for scrap.

That other portion has space for a 100-ton crane, something that isnt common in existing buildings, said Dean Gearhart, the companys co-owner and secretary-treasurer.

Gearmar has talked with a few companies about using that location, which borders the Market Street Bridge, but nothing has materialized.

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Demolition starts on one of downtown Youngstown’s biggest eyesores