Eastgate Submits Application for Smart Logistics Hub

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has applied for nearly $4 million in federal funding for the first phase of the proposed Lordstown Smart Logistics Hub.

The application is for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or Raise, Grant. The first phase of the project focuses on immediate freight system needs including a triple trailer transfer yard, solar powered electric vehicle charging stations and “smart corridor” broadband fiber optic and wireless communication devices.

Eastgate’s application requests $3,993,787 from the federal government while the agency will contribute $1.1 million in non-federal matching funds toward the project.

Last year, the agency applied for a larger grant but fell short.

The application highlights the growing importance of Lordstown’s location as an intersection of multiple modes of transportation, broadband, and electrification to position the area as the premier regional warehousing and distribution hub.

Ultium Cells LLC, a partnership between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, is building a $2.3 billion electric-vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Lordstown.

Other developments, such as the new TJX HomeGoods distribution center in Lordstown and the expansion of Macy’s distribution center in nearby North Jackson, have drawn attention to the Lordstown-North Jackson corridor.

More details about the Lordstown Smart Logistics Hub and Eastgate’s Raise grant application can be found HERE.

Images: Eastgate Regional Council of Governments

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.