Less than a year after the owners of the Realty Building tore the structure down, talks are reportedly happening about what will go in its place. 

With the site's owners, Yo Properties 47, discussing what they want - city leaders also have their own ideas. 

“We want to see something that's residential, retail, something that's going to compliment all the improvements that we’ve been doing downtown,” Youngstown’s Mayor Tito Brown said. 

“I would love to see something else beautiful go there, some type of mixed used space, retail as well as entertainment,” Youngstown's First Ward Councilman, Julius Oliver said. 

The Realty Building was heavily damaged in a gas explosion that killed one person and injured several others in May of 2024. Before being demolished, the historic building was a mix of commercial space on the bottom floor and residential living on the upper twelve floors. Currently, the site is leveled and sits as an empty slab of concrete.

Mayor Brown and Councilman Oliver both agree that they don't want to see just a parking garage put on the site.

“The owner needs to pay homage to the lives that were lost there and put something back there that would be an honor of those that were hurt,” Councilman Oliver said. 

Oliver said no matter what the owners decide they would need approval of the city officials and providing them some help isn’t completely off the table.

“If it was necessary, if it was something that was going to be extremely beneficial to our citizens I could see offering something like a tax abatement but I don't think it would go any further than that at this point,” Councilman Oliver said.

“I don't know what kind of incentives I would offer. We never say no… anything that's on the table for anyone else out there we would look at that,” Mayor Brown said. “...I want to make sure that what's there compliments what’s downtown and that it'll benefit the citizens of Youngstown."

Renderings of what could be built at the old site could come as soon as this Spring according to the Business Journal.