State approves release of $17.2M for Warren area development
The Ohio Controlling Board has approved a request from the Ohio Department of Development to release $17,241,380 for a major development project in the Warren area, the same area where Kimberly-Clark Corp. purchased land in 2023.
According to the board's public agenda, the funds from the All Ohio Future Fund will go to the Western Reserve Port Authority to assist with site preparation, construction of regional transportation improvements, and remediation of brownfield environmental conditions across more than 1,000 acres in Warren, Howland Township, and Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County.
The project aims to enhance infrastructure to attract business growth and create jobs.
A large part of the project will go towards making access roads for trucks to the site.
"Currently as it stands, the trucks would have to go directly through the city of Warren and so this is enabling them to be able to directly go to the site,” a representative from the department of development said in the board meeting.
The All-Ohio Future Fund was established in the 2024-2025 state budget to invest in site readiness for economic development.
The potential state funding aligns with ongoing developments at the Warren site, where Kimberly-Clark, the maker of household products like Kleenex and Huggies, acquired 559 acres of a former steel property on Pine Avenue in 2023.
Warren Mayor Doug Franklin told 21 News in March that progress at the Kimberly-Clark site is expected to pick up in the coming months. He noted the city is in regular contact with company representatives and Howland Township officials regarding infrastructure needs and the formation of a Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) to encourage economic growth.
Franklin also mentioned the city has implemented a construction project to mitigate flooding concerns along Pine Avenue, which he believes will benefit the Kimberly-Clark project.
A representative from the department of development said the 1,000 acres site will be big enough to hold three or four companies and would create hundreds of jobs. The companies that could come to the area once the work is done has not been disclosed. During the board meeting, several state senators noted the secrecy behind the request for millions without providing much information.
"It's important that the legislature of course be well tuned into what these projects are so that were not just asked to rubber stamp things once they get to the controlling board,” Senator Jerry Cirino said. "...I understand that there's often confidentiality issues with some of these things that are going on and we don't want to breach those but at the same time we find ourselves here uniformed about a lot of the aspects of not just the terms and conditions of these deals but that they existing the first place.”
Anthony Trevena said is this is an extremely exciting opportunity for the Mahoning Valley.
"At its core, this project is about investing in the communities we serve and laying the foundation for sustained regional economic investment,” Trevena said in a statement. “...This effort reflects a shared commitment from all partners to the future of the Mahoning Valley by proactively planning for the evolving needs of modern industrial and site development."
The Department of Development stated the $17.2 million request to the Controlling Board to fund the construction of a regional industrial access road and the closure of existing oil and gas wells on the larger development site. The funds would be partly a grant and partly a forgivable loan.
In addition to the potential state funding, the broader development project has commitments from the Western Reserve Port Authority, JobsOhio, Youngstown Warren Development Partners, and the City of Warren, totaling over $23.5 million.
It's unclear when work will start.
