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Youngstown committee pushes 2026 economic development strategy toward action, not more studies
Summary
Committee members and city staff emphasized implementing prior studies, keeping a shovel-ready site inventory and using targeted incentives in 2026 while improving communications with businesses and partners.
The Committee on Community Planning and Economic Development met Feb. 10, 2026, and prioritized turning existing economic-development studies into action rather than commissioning new analyses, members and staff said.
A committee speaker described the new emphasis this way: “We're tired of studying. It's time to start applying some of these things,” and said the administration will focus on retaining and expanding existing companies while attracting targeted new investment.
Why it matters: committee members said the shift aims to protect ARP-funded projects and other recent investments by accelerating deals and preventing stalled opportunities from leaving the city. Members pressed staff for clearer benchmarks so incentives are proportionate to project scale.
City staff said the department will lean on partners such as the Port Authority, the Economic Action Group and the Chamber but will also create internal benchmarks so a $20 million project is not treated the same as a $100,000 project. “When we look at our incentives, there's no kind of benchmark, if you will, for projects,” the committee speaker said, calling for measurable starting points for negotiations.
Stephanie Gilchrist, the city's economic development director, told the committee that business retention remains a top priority and that the job-creation tax credit grant has been effective for firms that generate substantial payroll and employment. She also described the Belmont corridor study as a priority that must be finished so implementation dollars can follow.
On site readiness, a city land-bank representative said the city currently holds roughly 3,700 properties and estimated—describing it as an informal estimate—"over 550 acres if I took a wild guess," adding the land bank can assemble multiple parcels for larger projects and consider zoning adjustments to make sites more attractive.
Council members urged clearer public reporting on the department's pipeline: counts of inquiries, projects in progress and recent wins, so residents and businesses can track activity. “Showing those activities would show what your department's doing,” Councilman Mike Ray said.
What's next: staff said they are meeting with marketing and outreach partners to develop substantive data packages for developers rather than catchphrases, and will continue outreach to stalled prospects. There were no formal votes on these items; the meeting concluded after additional agenda items and a motion to adjourn.
