CASTLO News!

"CASTLO's 2007 Annual Meeting"

~ March 8, 2007
 

CASTLO RE-ELECTS OFFICERS AT ANNUAL MEETING

STRUTHERS—On the occasion of its 29th anniversary of service to the Mahoning Valley, the CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation Board of Trustees, at its recent 2007 annual meeting, re-elected its existing officers for another one-year term. CASTLO’s officers are: Dr. William C. Binning, chairman; Marion Creed, president; Jean McBride, secretary/treasurer; Frank Galletta, vice-president of Finance; Sarah Lown, vice-president of Industrial Park Management; William Livosky, vice-president of Nominations & Personnel; and Randy Partika, P.E., vice-president of Program.

The Board also re-elected six at-large trustees for additional three-year terms: Kelly Becker-Rumberg, Creed, Galletta, Carol Hirt, Livosky and Lown.

Other CASTLO trustees include: Coitsville Township trustee Walter Avdey; Ray Calcagni, Jr.; Campbell mayor Jack Dill; George Garchar; Walter Good; Struthers first ward councilperson Sherri Hartzell; Atty. Michael Hoza; Lowellville mayor James Iudiciani; Mary Kropinak; Michael Kusalaba, P.E.; Poland Township trustee Robert Lidle (James Scharville, alternate); Struthers mayor Daniel Mamula; Richard Melvin; Vivian Powers and Paul Stebelton.

The Board reluctantly accepted Anthony Frattaroli’s resignation as a trustee after 16 years of dedicated service to both CASTLO and the Struthers community. During the year, Stebelton, Creed and McBride were honored for actively participating at 250, 200 and 100 Board meetings, respectively. William D. DeCicco serves as CASTLO’s executive director.

Incorporated on March 21, 1978 in response to the 1977 closing of the former Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company’s Campbell Works, CASTLO has as its mission to advance, encourage and promote the industrial, economic, commercial and civic development of Campbell, Struthers, Lowellville, Poland Township and Coitsville Township. The CASTLO Board owns and operates the 120-acre CASTLO Industrial Park in downtown Struthers and also is an active member of the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity, organized in 1995 to promote the redevelopment of former Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company brownfield property along both sides of the Mahoning River from the southeast edge of downtown Youngstown, through Campbell to the Struthers/Lowellville border.

Chairman Binning, during his annual message, noted four new tenants were added to the Industrial Park’s tenant roster in 2006: StateLine Paving, LLC; L & M Supply, Inc.; Chimaera Sculpture & Display, LLC; and a new telecommunications tower for Nextel. In addition, DeCicco said five existing tenants extended their leases: Aqua Ohio, Inc.; Fast-Cast, LLC; G-Force Contracting; Penn-Ohio Sealing Company, Inc. and the Tod Engine Foundation. Anchored by the Industrial Timber & Lumber Company and the Drywall Barn, the park’s 23 tenants employ 150 with a combined annual payroll of $5,000,000.

Mayor Mamula announced the city of Struthers has been recently approved by the Ohio Department of Development for a $188,936 Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant to be used during the next year to undertake additional environmental assessment work on the park’s western acreage. He reported another $200,000 grant is pending before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and if received later this year, will be used to remove five abandoned tanks and adjacent contaminated soils from the Industrial Park. Program Committee chairman Partika said a long range goal of CASTLO is to be the eventual recipient of a “Covenant Not to Sue” for the entire Industrial Park which will facilitate the future development of its vacant acreage.

As a non-profit organization, DeCicco noted CASTLO can qualify for various federal and state grants but emphasized the Industrial Park is economically self-sufficient with the vast majority of its revenues generated by rent from tenants. Since its formation, he noted CASTLO has never been the recipient of any local tax monies, and in fact pays income and real estate taxes benefiting the school system and the community.

Finance Committee chairman Galletta reported CASTLO expended approximately $100,000 for various building and site improvements in 2006 with a similar amount budgeted for 2007. Major improvements last year included: $16,240 for asbestos abatement; $15,850 for various paving projects; $12,200 in site remediation work; $11,900 to maintain the park’s rail system; $11,395 to upgrade electric service at two buildings; $9,582 in various roofing and siding repairs; and, $6,160 to grade property for future development.

Within the 1,470-acre MRCO area, Mayor Mamula said since 1999, eight federal and state grants totaling nearly $1,700,000 have been received to conduct environmental studies and to undertake site remediation work. Mayor Dill noted in October, 2006, Campbell received a $190,310 Clean Ohio grant to conduct environmental assessments on former YS&T Campbell Works property.

Looking forward to 2007, Binning said additional marketing and outreach activities will be undertaken by both CASTLO and the MRCO noting under-utilized brownfields provide excellent alternative locations for future industrial development and a viable alternative to the Mahoning Valley’s unwanted urban sprawl.

Additional information about CASTLO and the MRCO can be found on CASTLO’s web site: www.castlo.com. The city of Struthers illustrates a Master Plan for the MRCO on its web site: www.cityofstruthers.com.