Proud - Youngstown State University

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seating, an industrial history gallery and a sky-lit atrium will
make the WCBA an attractive meeting place for business
professionals and students alike.
The new building site takes up most of a city block
bordered by Rayen Avenue, North Hazel Street, Phelps
Street and Wood Street, strategically located to establish a
strong physical link between the YSU campus and downtown
Youngstown.
“We’ve oriented the building on a diagonal because we’d
rather have people walking through it than walking around
it,” said Greg Strollo of Strollo Architects. “The idea is that
business people, faculty and students can bump into each
other there.”
The design also includes numerous environmentallyfriendly
features, noted architects Strollo and Ziebarth, to
qualify for certification under the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design U.S. Green Building Council Rating
System. “YSU is taking a leadership role in meeting LEED
criteria for a ‘green building,’ to their credit,” Strollo said.
“As architects, we like to see public dollars spent that way.
It’s the responsible thing to do.”
Steven R. Lewis, chief executive officer of First Place
Bank, said the Williamson College relates to two of the
bank’s top priorities: education and economic development.
The First Place Foundation contributed $500,000 to the
Centennial Capital Campaign for the project, the largest
corporate gift to date.
“We made that investment because we’re interested in
Youngstown’s renaissance, and YSU is a key component in
that renaissance,” said Lewis. “We keep hearing about the
exodus of our young people. This building will be a tool to
change that.”
The new business college pushes YSU’s campus border
closer to downtown Youngstown, and Garry Mrozek, a YSU
business alumnus and area president of National City Bank,
expects it to inspire more development of the surrounding
properties. National City gave $300,000 for the project.
Mrozek said the building will give YSU a competitive
advantage with students. “We’ve got a great business school,
and now we’re adding a state-of-the-art physical facility,”
Mrozek said. “When students are choosing a college, that
matters a lot.”
YSU has committed $18.3 million in state dollars to the
new building, with the remaining $16 million to be raised
through private gifts as part of the Centennial Capital Campaign.
To date, private gifts total more than $12.8 million,
including a $4 million gift from campaign chairman Tony
Lariccia and his wife, Mary.
The new business building will be named in honor of
the family of the late Warren P. Williamson Jr., founder of
WKBN Broadcasting Corp. In 2006 the family announced
its $5 million contribution to the project, the largest gift in
university history.
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