By John Ostapowicz / The Jambar
Four months ago, an explosion at the Realty Tower — one of Youngstown’s most historic landmarks — killed one individual and injured several others. The aftermath of the tragedy still affects both the community and local businesses.
Since May 28, parts of downtown Youngstown have been closed off because of the explosion and demolition efforts, which began June 17. The closures of both East Federal and Market Street restricted access to YSU, DoubleTree by Hilton Youngstown Downtown and Bistro 1907.
With the east side of Market Street and East Federal Street between Market and Champion still closed, traffic is being designated to one lane through the city’s Central Square.
The demolition of the tower was approved by Youngstown City Council because it was deemed to have significant safety concerns.
The initial explosion leveled most of the first floor and the adjacent Chase Bank. Akil Drake, a Youngstown State University alumnus and bank employee was killed in the explosion.
It also damaged sidewalks as well as roads. Other than physical damage, the impacts of both the demolition and the blast still resonate with those that live and work in the city.
The Bistro, DoubleTree and the International Towers were all affected by the explosion and subsequent demolition efforts, which brought business to a stand-still. This also forced both the residents who lived in the Realty Tower and the nearby International Towers to evacuate.
It wasn’t until recently that the evacuation ban was lifted, and those who lived near the affected area could return. Residents and community members who occupied the Realty Building were unable to return to their homes, which prompted many to leave the city or relocate elsewhere.
Scott Schulick, President of Youngstown CityScape and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, has spent 27 years on the revitalization efforts of Youngstown. He said the decision to demolish the tower will not replace the impact the building had.
“I don’t believe there’s demand for a new building, although some may want to do that, and that would be great,” Schulick said. “You’re never going to replace what you lost.”
The history behind the Realty Tower stretched 100 years and before its demolition, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many residents fought to save the building because of its historic significance and Schulick said the loss could cause long-lasting damage to the community.
“There are some businesses that won’t come back and maybe some of those residents won’t come back. The International Towers, there are some who have found other places to go,“ Schulik said. “We’ve taken out an important building on the Central Square.”
Penguin City Brewing Co., a business that was farther from the blast, saw a drop off in business after the explosion.
Aspasia Lyras, co-owner of Penguin City and YSU alumna, said the business felt the effects of the blast with a decline in patrons. It also received calls asking if it was still open for business.
“When we looked at what we did last year compared to this year. there has been a significant loss. At events the turnout was not as great as the year before,” Lyras said. “There were lots of phone calls asking if we’re open and ‘Is downtown open?’ — a lot of that throughout the course of the summer made it challenging for us to get through the summer.”
The former pastor at St. Patrick Church and a resident of downtown Youngstown for nearly 40 years, Rev. Ed Noga, witnessed the blast and said if it weren’t for the construction on the side streets, the outcome could have been much worse.
“The building I live in, it didn’t shake but it moved. By the time I walked to the window within one to two minutes, West Federal Street was filled with people,” Noga said. “As minutes went on, I started to see ambulances and fire trucks as well as the hazmat team from the airport were coming to the city.”
Several downtown events are planned throughout the year, such as a Jon Pardi concert at the Youngstown Foundation Amphithere, the Halloween Bar Crawl and the annual Christmas tree lighting and parade. The hope for both residents and business owners is that the planned events will help bring new and old residents back to the city.
As of today, what remains of the Realty Tower is a shadow of a building that was a symbol to the downtown Central Square.
With the demolition almost completed, the process has begun to move the debris. Although an official timeline has not been given, Modarelli Excavating looks to finish the project and clear the site by the end of September.
