Youngstown, Ohio - October 6, 1997 - A proposed multimillion dollar construction and expansion at the Holiday Inn and Paonessa's Ristorante, located in Boardman, Ohio, will provide enhanced and much needed conference and banquet facilities for the Mahoning Valley, according to plans announced today by the hotel and restaurant owner, The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation.

The proposed project includes expanding the Holiday Inn from the current 118 sleeping rooms to 158 sleeping rooms with an additional 7,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Plans also include the expansion of T.J.'s Restaurant and Lounge located inside the Holiday Inn, as well as the enclosure of the existing outdoor swimming pool. To provide the necessary real estate for the Holiday Inn expansion, the dining room and lounge at Paonessa's will be closed effective today, with the banquet operations continuing through the end of this year to accommodate those functions that are currently scheduled.

"We have tremendous confidence that this project will provide the ability to serve the present and future needs of area residents, as well as business travelers passing through the region" stated Denise DeBartolo York, Chairman of The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation.

Construction is scheduled to begin in January with an approximate completion date in the fall of 1998. The proposed conference and banquet center will be able to accommodate parties of up to 425 people while featuring state-of-the-art equipment, tastefully decorated interior and professional consultation for all facets of meeting/banquet planning and coordination.

"Since the 1998 openings of both the Holiday Inn and Paonessa's Ristorante, the local hotel and restaurant industry has seen a tremendous demand for increased meeting space. We feel this is the next step of providing for the Mahoning Valley with it's continuing needs of additional conference and banquet facilities" stated Len Lesko, general Manager of the Holiday Inn.

The Holiday Inn - Youngstown South (Boardman) has been the recipient of the prestigious Holiday Inn Torchbearer Award (Top 25 Worldwide in quality and service) in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996. It has also received the Holiday Inn Priority Club Member's Choice Award for "Best Hotel Staff" in 1996.

Contact:

The official Holiday Inn Youngstown South website is located at http://www.oscentral.com/hotels/hiyngso