The solution to address the problems presented by our current, aging and inadequate facility is at hand. Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley has an opportunity to build a new, larger facility on a new site that will meet the needs of those we serve now — and in the future.
The Updated Proposed Site (May 2019)
The proposed site for the construction of a replacement emergency shelter in the Valley – to become the future home of the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley – is just a few acres of land located on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. This property is only several hundred feet West of the current location of the Mission. Seated across the street from the Youngstown City Schools bus garage, the Rescue Mission is now in the process of working with city leadership and the neighborhood to make this a reality.
Why the change of proposed location?
History: In 2010, the City of Youngstown deeded 17.5 acres of land on the city’s South Side to the Mission. The property is bounded by Erie Street, East Delason Avenue and East Warren Avenue. The original intention was to build where the former southside pool was located on that property. The building would have had a South Ave address.
However, it was found that that specific area of the property was a flood zone, so efforts were abandoned for the South Ave address and the project was moved to a different site on the same 17.5 acres – the corner of Erie and Delason. But after much prayer and consideration of the needs of our clients, it became evident to Mission leadership in 2018 that consideration on an entirely different property should take place. The main reason was – and is – to meet the needs of our clients who walk to most of their employment and appointments on the North Side of town and to keep good access for them to the bus lines.
Working with the Mahoning County Landbank, leadership partnered to determine if there was another, more suitable site on the Northside (where the Mission currently resides and has since the early 1970’s).
A series of meetings was scheduled and Mission leadership met with members of the Northside neighborhood, local pastors and blockwatch members to listen to their ideas and partner to come up with a plan. These meetings finished with a town hall meeting in April 2019 to present the project followed by a blockwatch meeting in Mid- May where the neighborhood embraced the idea of the relocation of the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley staying on the Northside!
The Mission is currently following the guidance of city council as we work to purchase the property as the city makes provisions to rezone the area.
We thank everyone in the community for your continued prayer as we walk through this process and move one step closer to making the Move Our Mission Campaign a reality. To God be the glory!