Wick nears completion; Enclave development underway

The long, long awaited opening of the new Wick Avenue, complete with block “Y” crosswalks and red brick sidewalks, is about here.

Youngstown city officials say the project that started in September 2016 will be complete by the end of October, creating a campus gateway that President Jim Tressel has termed “spectacular,” while Mayor John McNally calls it “transformative.”

The project that includes paving, burying utility wires, widening sidewalks, new lighting, replacing sewer and water lines cost $4.4 million and was funded mostly with federal money. The Wick improvements, which run from Rayen Avenue through the campus to McGuffey Road, reduce the three-lane street to one in each direction, with the middle being a turning lane.

As the road upgrades conclude, work is well underway along Wick between Rayen and Wood Street on the new Enclave student apartment and retail development. The 65-unit, 194-apartment complex will also feature retail space for a mix of tenants, including restaurants. It is slated to open for the start of Fall semester 2018.

The Enclave is the second private apartment complex to open on campus in the past three years. University Edge on the west side of campus opened its first phase in August 2016, with the second phase opening this past August. The apartments are at capacity, as are all university residence halls.