The crowd celebrates the Open in downtown Youngstown with eagerness | News, Sports, Employment

Correspondent photos / Sean Barron. .. Dan Martini, co-owner of The Federal in downtown Youngstown, begins preparing hot dogs and hot dogs for those who planned to enjoy the nightly entertainment that was part of Saturday’s The Open event to celebrate the city’s comeback .

YOUNGSTOWN – Janet Jackson’s 1989 hit song “Come Back to Me” calls for the return of a lost love to mend a broken heart, but if you change the lyrics and their meaning, you might end up with something similar in the recent atmosphere of the city. city ​​center

“It helped a lot. We see a difference in foot traffic,” said Eddie Moses, co-owner of V2 Wine and Trattoria on West Federal Street.

He was referring to the increase in patrons coming to the popular downtown restaurant, courtesy of Saturday’s The Open event across much of the corridor and beyond.

Major sponsors and partners were 7/17 Credit Union, the City of Youngstown, Premier Bank, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, the Youngstown Foundation, the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber and JAC Live.

The fun-filled extravaganza of live entertainment, special events and activities celebrated the opening of the downtown corridor while helping the business community, which has been struggling with fewer customers and lost revenue largely in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a seemingly never-ending and frustrating situation. a series of road closures, detours and infrastructure repairs and the May 28 natural gas explosion in the basement of the Realty Tower building that killed Akil Drake, a 27-year-old Chase Bank employee. The 13-storey building has been razed.

Moses said he hopes Saturday’s meeting will be a catalyst for downtown to be “like the old days” of businesses full of customers and the corridor a vibrant arts and entertainment hub.

If the Open proves to be an accurate forecast of the future of V2, which opened some 13 years ago, the restaurant and meeting place will likely do well. Outside tables were full and few were empty inside on a cloudless 70-degree afternoon.

Downtown life and commerce have been negatively impacted by factors beyond anyone’s control, but Moses hopes to see “a big turnaround,” he said, stressing that he believes the area is safe for everyone.

“We have to give people a reason to come here,” said Dan Martini, co-owner of The Federal next to V2.

The road closures have hurt the business as it saw a 60% drop in revenue between May and July, compared to the same time last year, Martini added.

“Hopefully, that’s all behind us now,” said Martini, who spent part of Saturday afternoon making hot dogs and hot dogs for those who planned to stay for the evening’s entertainment on a grand stage close that covered the width of West Federal Street.

A major driver of increased visitors to the corridor will be scheduling more concerts and events at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater starting next year. Doing so will create a ripple effect, because many people who attend the entertainment venue will also take advantage of other downtown offerings, including restaurants, he said. Martini added that the amphitheater only hosted four or five major acts this summer.

Also pleased with the high volume of visitors Katie Detoro, executive director of OH WOW! Roger & Gloria Jones Center for Science and Technology.

“Today I felt very good. We’ve definitely had over 500 visitors,” Detoro said, adding that in the absence of special events, a typical Saturday draws about 100 people.

An attraction for at least part of the five-fold increase was that the center offered four hours of free admission, thanks to sponsorship and donations from 7/17 Credit Union, Detoro noted.

OH WOW! took a financial hit this summer, but the situation improved last month, he said.

Detoro added that during the Open, he not only showcased what downtown has to offer, but promoted the city to people coming from Stow, Pittsburgh and elsewhere, a move “that’s a win for everyone , because they’ll be back, you know?” she said

In addition, many of the businesses in the center look out for each other to promote that, despite the difficult times, the city is open to everyone, Detoro continued.

Moses, Martini and Detoro were united in the hope that Saturday’s big meeting will continue Youngstown’s transformation process and help encourage more people to take advantage of its diverse offerings.

Also leaving no doubt about their feelings and loyalty to the city were numerous visitors wearing dark blue T-shirts emblazoned with “Forever Youngstown Ohio.”

“We’re waiting for the city to take off again. This is a great start, I can tell you that,” said Jim Kinnick, who made, then gave away, about 1,500 free shirts for those who work downtown.

Kinnick, the executive director of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, added that funds for the shirts were drawn from the Eastgate Community Investment Fund. He also intends to order more in the coming weeks for the same purpose.

A top priority for Eastgate is to see continued investment in the city and grow the region with its partnerships. It’s vital to invest in Youngstown and grow from there, Kinnick explained.

To that end, ERCG plans to launch a housing assessment strategy next year aimed at addressing the region’s housing needs, said Kinnick, who also worked 30 years as an engineer with the Department of Transportation d ‘Ohio.

Saturday’s entertainment lineup included Howard Howell as well as Blaq Rose, both preceded by headliner Red Wanting Blue, a rock ‘n’ roll band that debuted in the mid-1990s in Athens before moving in Columbus. His studio releases include ‘Souvenirs of City Life’, ‘Pride: The Cold Lover’, ‘From the Vanishing Point’ and ‘Sirens’, dedicated to the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 .

Crowds turned West Federal Street into an impromptu dance floor as they rocked and swayed to Howard Howell’s renditions of a mostly R&B repertoire that included the popular standard “Fly Me to the Moon,” along with Bill’s hit Withers “Lovely Day”. and George Benson’s 1976 instrumental “Breezin’,” as well as songs by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and others.

Among those who were uninhibited in showing off some moves was Hannah DiCristofaro, who moved back to the city six years ago after living in North Hollywood, California and Seattle.

“I love this event,” said DiChristofaro, who came with her sister, Emily Datchuk of Girard, and her niece, Rory Datchuk, 4. “It’s great that everyone is coming together to make sure people know we’re coming back and we’re coming back stronger. My heart is here.”

Also part of the day of celebration is a Youngstown Phantoms vs. Lincoln Stars hockey game at the Covelli Center, a screening of the popular 1975 cult film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Penguin City Brewing Co., the Youngstown Film Festival at The Vault and the Youngstown State University Penguins vs. South Dakota Coyotes football game at Stambaugh Stadium.