Demolition work continues on former Cottesville radio station

A multi-year effort to demolish a former radio station in Cowattsville Township continues months after grants for the building’s demolition expired.

This building has been on the site since 1954.

But a lack of maintenance has drawn the attention of town officials and Youngstown’s nonprofit owners.

“If you’re going to leave it and it’s going to get worse, leave it there and get rid of it. But if you’re going to fix it, fix it and don’t add more blight to an already hard-hit area,” said Million Perry Pfeiffer, owner and CEO of the Perseus Way Project.

The building on the North Blair Avenue property has holes in the top and sides of the roof, its windows are boarded up and it is surrounded by unmown grass.

“It’s gone too far. There’s a very, very big hole in the roof. You can see big, huge eagles coming in and out of it. The lawn isn’t being maintained. You can see the neglect of this property,” Perry Pfeiffer said.

Carl Bloom, owner of Bloom Broadcasting LLC, took ownership of the building in 2024, but Perry Pfeiffer said he was still involved in the property ownership when he called about the building in 2021.

“He has said many times that he is making money because the antenna is there. He has no plans to repair or sell the building, and as long as the antenna is there, the building will remain there,” he said. perry pfeiffer. “I asked him if he thought it was fair for the community to leave the building in this condition, with a hole in the roof and the grass unmoved. He chuckled and that was the end of the conversation.”

In 2024, Cowattsville Township Zoning Inspector Mike Kurilla said he is working with the Mahoning County Land Bank in an effort to remove structurally deficient buildings and has also received grant funding to support that effort.

The trustees voted to shut down the old radio station, but Bloom did not request an appeal.

However, Roger Smith Land Bank Planning Manager He said power was flowing from the building to smaller buildings and would need to be shut off before it could be demolished.

Smith said the owners could not demolish the building because they did not have a power outage permit.

The grant to demolish the building expired four months ago, and the matter was once again in the hands of the Cowattsville Township Board of Supervisors.

Cowattsville Township Trustee Rebecca Mikler sent a statement to 21 News addressing the township’s next steps.

“At this time, Cowattsville Township plans to consult with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office regarding next steps related to property matters at 401 N. Blaine Avenue. We are committed to following all legal procedures and appropriately addressing the situation.”

Perry Pfeiffer also said he is prepared to take legal action if necessary.

“We have real estate attorneys. If they don’t cooperate with the city, or you know, we as a nonprofit are prepared to assist them. We will definitely take legal action.” Perry Pfeiffer. “It’s already high ground where a lot of trash and stuff is dumped, and just having a building there that looks like that doesn’t make it any better. Because someone might think it’s a dump and start dumping there. ”

21 News also reached out to Bloom, who said he could not comment because his lawyer is involved.

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