Youngstown Mayor to unveil downtown safety plan amid business concerns

YOUNGSTOWN Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and city officials are set to unveil a "Downtown Safety Action Plan" Wednesday morning, a move that comes as some downtown business owners express frustration with the city's direction ahead of the November mayoral election.

The announcement is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Phelps Street Gateway, located at the intersection of North Phelps Street and West Commerce Street. Youngstown Police Chief Carl Davis, Youngstown Fire Department Chief Barry Finley, City Law Director Lori Shells Simmons, Code Enforcement Superintendent Mike Durkin, First Ward Councilman Julius Oliver, and other city officials will join Brown.

According to a news release, the plan is a result of "continued conversations with downtown business owners and patrons, and continued priority and investment in the downtown corridor." It will focus on enforcing public safety ordinances related to occupancy, loitering, underage drinking, and nuisance abatement, to ensure downtown remains "a safe and vibrant area for residents, businesses, and visitors."

The announcement comes after a group of downtown business owners, organized under the "Downtown for Derrick" campaign, voiced their discontent with current city management. Joey Mamounis, campaign manager for the group supporting independent mayoral candidate Derrick McDowell, stated last week that "the downtown has been going in a direction they don't want to see it go."

Businesses including Casa Di Canzoneta, Penguin City, V2, and Avalon Downtown are part of the coalition. Avalon Downtown owner Anne Masullo-Sabella emphasized that business owners should have a voice in decisions impacting them, a sentiment echoed by Penguin City owner Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki, who expressed sadness over what she perceives as a decline in downtown vibrancy.

When asked about the coalition, Mayor Brown asserted, "We're listening to all of our residents. We're seeing unprecedented investment in all areas of the city. We've done all kinds of things for downtown, and we won't stop." He added that the administration is "focused on issues that are moving our city forward," including affordable housing and neighborhood development, and stated that "crime is down fifty percent."