YOUNGSTOWN — City council on Wednesday will consider legislation to demolish the long-shuttered South Fieldhouse, enter into agreements for $1.1 million in state funding for resurfacing projects and pay raises for about 200 of its employees.

Council also will vote Wednesday to fund four American Rescue Plan projects and reconsider 10% bonuses to city police officers and emergency 911 dispatchers.

Legislation on Wednesday’s agenda would appropriate $301,000 from the city’s demolition fund to remediate and demolish the former South Fieldhouse and demolish outdoor bleachers at what used to be the South High School Athletic Complex. The city is using $38,817 as its share to receive a state grant for the project. The city’s portion is for planning, inspection and construction administration services.

The demolition work is to prepare the site to be sold to the Valley Legends Stadium Consortium, which is part of Valley Christian Schools. The consortium has proposed to spend $9 million to construct a 3,000-seat stadium with a turf football field and track in two phases. Valley Christian is working to raise the money for the project.

The legislation, sponsored by Mayor Jamael Tito Brown, states Valley Christian hopes to break ground next summer and have it ready for community use by spring 2026.

The fieldhouse, which opened in 1940, was used by Youngstown State University, then Youngstown College, and South High School, which closed in 1993, for basketball games and other events. The fieldhouse also was used for other activities and shows, but was last used about 15 years ago.

It’s fallen into disrepair and a 2017 appraisal estimated it would cost up to $1.5 million to renovate. Since then, its condition has gotten worse.

On Wednesday, city council will consider two ordinances, totaling $1.1 million, to have the board of control enter into grant agreements with the state for funding for road resurfacing.

One proposal would provide $481,258 from the Ohio Public Works Commission to resurface Wood Street, McGuffey Road, Sheridan Road and a portion of Powers Way. The other would provide $625,278 from the OPWC for paving work on Gibson Street, Liberty Road and Shehy Street.

The work includes street signs and handicapped-accessible curb ramps, said Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.

The city received a $1.02 million federal grant for the first project and because it doesn’t have to pay anything for that work it has funding to provide $500,000 in city money for the second project, Shasho said.

“It’s a big win for us,” Shasho said. “We leveraged federal money in order to save local dollars and use part of that savings for the second project. They’re all in need of paving as they are well-traveled streets.”

After the agreements are signed by the city and state, the projects would be awarded in July 2025, Shasho said. Work would take about 60 days and be finished in September or October 2025, he said.

PAY RAISES

City council will consider pay raises for nonunion employees of 2.5% plus an additional $1 per hour at Wednesday’s meeting. The raises are effective Jan. 1.

The raises are for about 200 city employees, including management such as department heads. About 70 of the employees work in the clerk of courts and the court bailiff’s office with about 20 each in the health and wastewater departments.

Not included in the raises are city council members and other elected officials as well as the three civil service commissioners.

Council approved identical pay raises Feb. 21, retroactive to the beginning of the year.

Nearly all city employee unions are receiving 2.5% salary increases for 2025.

The city typically gives its nonunion employees the same salary increases as its unionized workers.

The additional $1 per hour to nonunion employees is designed to give them money in place of extra payments that normally go to union members for bonuses for hazardous duty, shift differentials and uniform allowances.

The nonunion employees would get longevity pay under a separate ordinance on Wednesday’s agenda.

The longevity pay is $65 per year for every employee who has at least three years with the city up to 25 years. For example, an employee working for 10 years would get $650. It’s the same longevity pay given to union employees.

With the firefighters union receiving 4% raises starting Jan. 1, 2026, other union and nonunion employees are expected to get the same percentage increases. The city grants the same raises to all of its unions. However, the union that represents city hall workers is getting a 2.5% raise in 2026 — negotiated before the firefighters’ contract — so the difference will be given to those workers in its next union contract.

Meanwhile, council will again consider Wednesday granting 10% bonuses to city police officers and emergency 911 dispatchers.

Money for the bonuses, totaling $882,762, was left over from a $1.72 million ARP grant the city received in 2022 to hire and retain police officers.

The other $840,000 was used to pay the salaries this year of nine new police hires.

City council voted 5-1 on Nov. 20 to pay the bonuses by emergency measure, but council needed six votes to pass it by emergency.

Councilwoman Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward, voted against declaring it an emergency to see if a portion of the funding could be used to pay the salaries of five officers who could be hired by the end of this year.

Councilwoman Amber White, an independent from the 7th Ward, was absent at the Nov. 20 meeting.

Paying the bonuses from the grant would cost the city about $150,000 to cover the pension pickup of the police officers. The city doesn’t have to pay those pension amounts for dispatchers, who make up a small percentage of the bonuses that would be paid.

ARP

City council will consider four ARP allocations, including $55,340 for audio and visual upgrades to council chambers, its caucus room and receptionist area.

City council last met March 1, 2023, in council chambers. Eight days later, fire Chief Barry Finley ruled the city hall fire escape to be structurally unsafe and closed it down.

The city has replaced the fire escape, but it still cannot pass inspection by the fire department because of issues with the interior and exterior of city hall that connects to the fire escape.

That means city council will meet Wednesday at the Covelli Centre.

The other requested ARP ordinances are all sponsored by Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward.

One is to spend $20,000 to rehabilitate and improve the Princeton-Market Street green space project, $20,000 for the Glenwood corridor business assistance project and increase the cost to renovate 2525 Market St., a former McDonald’s restaurant into a community center, from $800,000 to $825,000.

Council also will consider a 75% 10-year tax abatement for Penguin City Brewery, 460 E. Federal St.

The business has invested $4 million into the location and is looking to spend another $700,000 to create three full-time and three part-time jobs, according to the proposed ordinance.