Council members vote to reinspect stability of Realty Building in downtown Youngstown

The city is looking at the next steps that should be taken for downtown Youngstown’s Realty Building, the site of a reported gas explosion last month that killed one man.

Before it’s demolished, officials want another opinion on the structural integrity of the building.

The council approved $3,900 be moved from the First Ward discretionary fund to pay the Structural Systems Repair Group.

The Structural Systems Repair Group will visit the site for an inspection and recommendation “related to the stabilization of Realty Tower.”

The resolution was introduced by Julius Oliver and passed unanimously by the Youngstown City Council.

“There were a lot of people crying, people who didn’t understand they were leaving temporarily and would be able to return. I saw a lot of people come together that day,” said Oliver. “A lot of different organizations came downtown to take care of those people and I just want to say thank you to the entire community for helping out, especially our city employees.”

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This story was originally published June 21, 2024 at 12:02 AM.