News
Tenant of Silver's building worries he'll have to move his art gallery
Dr. Lena Esmail told 21 News she just got the keys to the Silver's building Tuesday. She says there are three tenants inside, but safety concerns mean there's no guarantee any of them will be able to stay.

Getty Images
Inside the same building that once housed Silver's suit shop in downtown Youngstown also lies decades of Jim Pernotto's labor of love.
His artwork - having been showcased across the Valley and across the country - has always come back to reside here.
But with the building now sold to a new owner, Pernotto may have to pull up stakes.
"We know that there are some health and safety issues that come along with the property we recently purchased," says Dr. Lena Esmail, the building's new owner. She explained that there's open air asbestos in the basement and masonry issues on the second floor, where Pernotto's studio is.
She warned that the necessary means to fix those issues could have a ripple effect on the remaining three tenants.
When asked if it's too early to say whether he'll have to find a new space for his art, Esmail said "absolutely but with that being said, one of the contingencies of the sale of the building is that we'd be giving them four months notice if there were going to be a modification of the lease."
According to Esmail, that won't be known for a while yet.
Pernotto is just hopeful any modifications will be minimal.
He feels a gallery space on the first floor in conjunction with the Butler Institute of American Art would be a good compromise.
"I hope she understands how this could be a hinge for the place," he said, adding that he'll have options if he does end up having to relocate. "I had my friends from Italy and Spain and Germany and Australia already reaching out to me, a number of people around the country."