YOUNGSTOWN Renovations are progressing at a former West Side florist shop that will become a gardening resource for the Youngstown community.

Youngstown CityScape, a nonprofit organization, purchased the former Briel's Flowers and Greenhouse property at 2326 Belle Vista Ave. in 2021. The organization is converting the site into a community resource center and greenhouse.

Over the last several months, crews have been replacing glass panels in the greenhouses with polycarbonate, according to a quarterly report from CityScape. The replacement material is durable and energy efficient.

Once finished, the greenhouses will provide space for starting seeds as well as growing and displaying plants. The renovated space will also be used for classes and other horticultural education activities.

Meanwhile, construction crews are making progress on a neighborhood gardening resource center inside a single-family home on the property. According to the report, the center will include a demonstration kitchen, a meeting space, and a makers' market.

The Briel family, which operated the flower shop for 96 years before it closed in 2020, is among the project's donors.