YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — After years of legal battles, the city of Youngstown has successfully acquired the former Chill-Can site on the lower East Side. A judge approved the transfer of ownership following a sheriff’s sale held on February 18, where the city purchased the 21-acre property for $1,379,580, a price that represents two-thirds of its assessed value.
Jason Small, a senior assistant city law director, confirmed the ruling, stating, “It’s a done deal.” He noted that the city would address additional fees this week related to the property. The acquisition marks a significant milestone for Youngstown, which has been pursuing ownership of the troubled site for over four years.
The transaction was not straightforward. The Chill-Can site consists of 86 individual parcels, with the city already owning 26 of them and two under the control of a former official from M.J. Joseph Development Corp., the company behind Chill-Can. The city leveraged funds owed to it by M.J. Joseph—amounting to approximately $1.6 million—to acquire the property, making the sole bid during the sheriff’s sale.
Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court ordered the sale and confirmed the city’s ownership in a judgment entry dated July 2. The judge emphasized that any unpaid taxes and related liens would remain attached to the property, ensuring that obligations are met if the site were ever sold again. M.J. Joseph owes Mahoning County over $46,000 in delinquent taxes.
Mayor Jamael Tito Brown announced plans to transform the acquired land into an industrial park, aiming to revitalize the area. The Chill-Can project initially promised to bring innovation to beverage packaging, with plans to create the world’s first self-chilling cans, 237 jobs, and an $18.8 million investment. However, the venture fell short, leaving three unfinished buildings and no active employees at the site since M.J. Joseph abandoned the project.
Mitchell Joseph, who led the company, ceased operations on the site around five years ago. In early 2024, he officially withdrew from ongoing legal disputes related to the troubled development. Judge Durkin ruled in favor of Youngstown and MS Consultants Inc., which filed a foreclosure lawsuit against M.J. Joseph after the company failed to uphold contractual obligations for design work.
The court’s decisions culminated in substantial financial penalties for M.J. Joseph. In August, it was determined that the company owed Youngstown $1.5 million and additional amounts to MS Consultants. Youngstown had previously invested in the project, supplying grants to facilitate development, but has since opted to use the owed funds to help finance the purchase.
Youngstown’s pursuit of the property has been marked by strategic litigation. The city filed a $2.8 million lawsuit in June 2021, claiming that M.J. Joseph’s failure to develop the site violated agreements made during negotiations. The completion of this acquisition is expected to pave the way for new economic opportunities in an area that has been awaiting revitalization.
This article was automatically written by Open AI. The people, facts, circumstances, and story may be inaccurate, and any article can be requested for removal, retraction, or correction by writing an email to contact@publiclawlibrary.org.