CASTLO News!

"CASTLO elects two new Trustees at Annual Meeting"

~ March 18, 2004, The Journal
 

STRUTHERS - Celebrating 26 years of service to the Mahoning Valley, the CASTLO Community Improvement Corporation Board of Trustees elected two new trustees at its recent annual meeting. The new trustees are: Kelly Becker-Rumberg, president of Davidson Becker Funeral Service, a Struthers native and Poland Township resident; and, Carol Jean Hirt, co-owner of Materials Research Laboratories, Inc. and a Campbell resident. Both individuals have an outstanding record of community service with Mrs. Becker-Rumberg serving as an active member of the Struthers Rotary, while Mrs. Hirt plays a leadership role with the Struthers Business Association. Current trustees elected for additional three-year terms include: Marion Creed, Frank Galletta, William Livosky and Sarah Lown. A commemorative plaque was presented to Julie Michael Smith, regional representative for the Governor's Economic Development Office, who is stepping down after years of distinguished service.

The Board also re-elected its existing officers for another one-year term CASTLO's officers are: Michael Kusalaba, P.E., chairman; Mrs. Creed, president; Jean McBride, secretary/treasurer; Mr. Galletta, vice-president, Finance; Paul Stebelton, vice-president, Industrial Park Management; Mr. Livosky, vice-president, Nominations & Personnel; and Mrs. Lown, vice-president, Program. Other CASTLO trustees include: Coitsville Township Trustee Walter Avdey, Dr. William Binning, Ray Calcagni, Jr., Campbell Mayor Jack Dill, George Garchar, Walter Good, Atty. Michael Hoza, Lowellville Mayor James Iudiciani, Mary Kropinak, Poland Township Trustee Robert Lidle, Jr., Struthers Mayor Daniel Mamula, Richard Melvin, Randy Partika, P.E., and Vivian Powers.  William 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. Chairman Kusalaba, during his annual message, noted five new tenants were recently added to the tenant roster of the Board's 120-acre CASTLO Industrial Park located in downtown Struthers: the Drywall Barn, which distributes drywall and other building products from its rail-served premises; G-Force Contracting, a bridge painting contractor; IPI Industrial Painting, Inc, which paints large industrial tanks; Ohio Cast Sales, which stockpiles foundry patterns; and Valley Recycling, LLC, which specializes in document storage and converting scrap paper into usable products. He also emphasized CASTLO remains fiscally sound and is of no burden to local taxpayers as its expenses are entirely met by rental income received from the Industrial Park's 16 tenants which have a combined annual payroll of nearly $4,000,000.

Mrs. Lown stated work will soon commence on two grants CASTLO recently received through the Mahoning County Special Projects Office: a $171,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields assessment grant that will be used to conduct a Phase II environmental evaluation of the Industrial Park's western acreage; and, a $201,091 Clean Ohio grant to remove contaminated steel making remnants from its eastern acreage. She said when the environmental studies are completed, more emphasis can be given to marketing and expanding the park. According to the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity Master Plan, the park can accommodate at least eight new structures, all with direct rail access, in addition to its 12 existing buildings.

Mayor Mamula praised CASTLO's association with the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity group which is working to revitalize the I,470-acre brownfield which straddles both sides of the Mahoning River from the eastern fringe of downtown Youngstown through Campbell to the Struthers/Lowellville border. Mr. Partika stated plans and specifications for a new $3,425,000 bridge structure at the base of Walton Avenue are now complete and a groundbreaking ceremony is planned for late spring. The bridge will improve access to under-utilized but prime industrial brownfield property in the cities of Campbell and Youngstown when it is opened for traffic in 2005. Mayor Dill stated plans are in progress to build on interior roadway, opening up additional lots in Campbell for development, once the new bridge is constructed.

Looking forward to 2004, Mrs. Creed said additional marketing and outreach activities will be undertaken by both CASTLO and the MRCO noting brownfields provide excellent alternative locations for future industrial development.

Additional information about CASTLO and the MRCO can be found on CASTLO's web site. www.castlo.com, which will soon be redesigned. The City of Struthers illustrates the MRCO Master Plan on its web site. www.cityofstruthers.com.