Grant Awarded to YBI to Benefit Businesses in Columbiana County

LISBON, Ohio – A $1.79 million Appalachian Regional Commission grant awarded to the Youngstown Business Incubator will benefit businesses in several area counties, with the Columbiana County Port Authority being one of the sub-recipients.

The grant, awarded through ARC’s Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative, will support the Rising Tides Initiative, which focuses on growing and developing microchip, advanced energy, defense and aerospace industries in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Jefferson, Belmont and Monroe counties.

The Columbiana County Port Authority can expect to receive approximately $50,000 of the grant funding for outreach to its local manufacturing community through business retention and expansion calls and to assist with events associated with the Rising Tides Initiative, Brittany Smith, assistant director of the port authority, said during a board meeting Monday.

The port authority is “thankful for the YBI reaching out to Columbiana County so we can help our businesses,” said Penny Traina, executive director of the port authority.

Water Sampling

Smith also reported on the Expandable Potable Water Sampling project being conducted by the county health department on which the port authority board agreed to assist during its July meeting.

The project was developed to sample private drinking wells in the county and monitor water quality as a supplement to ongoing sampling efforts after the Feb.3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.

After the derailment, a sampling plan was developed in coordination with several federal, state and local agencies to monitor drinking water quality, with sampling conducted under the plan limited to the priority zones identified near the vicinity of the derailment.

While modeled after the original sampling plan, the Expandable Potable Water Sampling project is intended to provide water quality information from the area outside the priority zones as well as provide peace of mind to county residents in the extended area who have previously been unable to access sampling services, Smith said. 

She told the board the port authority has just received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the application submission process.

Downtown Vibrancy

Smith also reported on a business conditions workshop held earlier this month with Town Center Associates and leaders from the seven walkable downtowns involved in a project aimed at seeking grant funding to assist with overall downtown vibrancy.

Traina said the workshop was “very well attended” and “well received.” 

Smith said Town Center Associates is currently working on a building condition survey as part of the project.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.