YOUNGSTOWN - At Wednesday's city council meeting, Youngstown City council members voted in favor of flipping the former McDonald's property on Market Street into a police substation.

Council agrees this is a way to reduce crime and implement more police programs for the community. As well as adding more officers around troubled spots in the city, allowing for a safer future for Youngstown.

Councilwoman Anita Davis was behind this proposal for the city to use ARP funds to purchase land to build a police substation on Youngstown's south side.

Council members, including Basia Adamczak, Julius Oliver, and Mike Ray, were approved to cosponsor the ordinance. 

"We've had six homicides within less than a half-mile radius of the property," Davis said. 

This comes as a 6-year-old child was shot through a home on Avondale Wednesday morning. 

Davis explained the substation would not be treated as a second police department and would not stay open 24/7 like a traditional police department. Davis said the substation would house community health workers, the community access channel, and other social service agencies.

"Police officers could gather, be seen, be visible by the community, be able to be approached and talked to, and also be able to be dispatched quicker on the south side to be able to get to a crime scene or prevent a crime," explained Julius Oliver, 1st Ward Councilman. 

"It's so centrally located that that substation will have an impact on the 1st Ward and even on the 7th Ward as opposed to everything coming from Downtown Youngstown," Davis added. 

Up to $160,000 of the city's American Rescue Plan funds will go towards the purchase of the property. It is unknown how much the renovations of the building will cost.

"It's a great way to re-purpose an asset that's going to waste on one of our major city corridors," said Mike Ray, 4th Ward Councilman. "There tends to be a hot spot in that area, so I think coupling that and putting city resources there is not a bad idea."

"A substation can not be the replacement of the police station or the police department, but it's just one more tool towards addressing the crime that's up in that area," Davis added.

"We're even considering the community police officers will probably be housed there," said Police Chief Carl Davis to 21 News. 

Chief Davis added the department is partnering with the Ohio State Highway Patrol as an additional way to add a heavier police presence throughout the community.

Councilwoman Samantha Turner was the only member to vote down the ordinance. She told 21 News it's because she does not know the final cost of renovations once the building is purchased.

Oliver said council now has to look at "what all needs to be done to make this a reality."

He said they will now analyze construction plans and options for the center, including adding an auxiliary police force or police academy.

"It could be a multiplicity of things for the safety of our community," Oliver said.