The City of Youngstown has filed a new motion against the developer of the unfinished Chill Can plant. 

The city filed a motion in Mahoning County Common Pleas court asking Judge Maureen Sweeney to impose sanctions on Chill Can, a plant that aimed to produce self-chilling beverage cans, for intentionally delaying court proceedings. 

The new motion is asking the M.J. Joseph Development Corporation, who owns Chill Can, to pay the city an additional $733,480.80, plus reasonable attorney fees in damages for Chill Can's inability to comply with court orders. 

According to the motion, Chill Can has repeatedly ignored sanctions by the court, and are using delays in the lawsuit to liquidate or hide assets that were promised to the city.

In September of 2022, Judge Sweeney ruled that the M.J. Joseph Development Corporation had breached its contract with the city and that Youngstown was entitled to $1.5 million in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. 

In 2016, Chill Can broke ground on a ten acre plant on the East Side of the city, and promised to bring at least 237 new jobs to the area. The project was expected to be finished 5 years ago. 

According to the Joseph Development Corporation, the delays began during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the city argued that the plant was expected to hire 150 employees before the pandemic ever began. 

The city is also requesting that a hearing be set for further damages.