WARREN – When Warren Mayor Doug Franklin was working on the General Motors Lordstown assembly line, he never dreamed the plant would be closed 40 years later.
Franklin was a new father and a precinct committeeman then.
“I think we all had a feeling that the plant would be there way longer than it actually existed,” he says. “We had a feeling it was a secure place of employment for the Valley. It had all of the attributes for longevity, including the Ohio Turnpike and interstate and its location was excellent.”
Franklin, who grew up in the 1960s, witnessed the Civil Rights movement and its leaders: “I think that was the beginning of a passion for social justice, public service and serving others.”
He served 13 years on Warren City Council, both as a member and president, then eight years as safety service director. He was elected mayor in 2011.
Franklin has seen the population of the city decline. “When you look over the 40-year period, we used to be a city with 68,000 residents,” he says. “We have right now around 40,000. And I’m using round numbers.”
The population loss causes challenges such as vacant houses. It also means less money coming into city coffers. But the number of roads and parks it needs to maintain hasn’t changed.
“It didn’t cut our challenges. It increased them because we’re doing it with less,” Franklin says.
On the plus side, several major projects are underway or expected to begin soon in and near the city. That includes the Kimberly Clark warehouse project announced late last year at the former Republic Steel site in Warren Township.
“It’s a transformational project,” Franklin says.
“It changes the conversation about Warren. It reestablishes us as a manufacturing hub, not only in northeast Ohio, but the state of Ohio as well. At the end of the day, we’re talking about a multibillion-dollar investment. That’s a game changer,” he says.
“I’m very encouraged about what I see in the community in the coming years,” he says. “Like most urban communities, we have challenges. But if you look at the amount of investment – and I have to include Foxconn and Ultium Cells, the energy plant and the local investment, particularly the Warren West Improvement Corp. for their $100 million investment on the west side of Warren.”
That area hasn’t seen significant investment since Warren Western Reserve High School was built. It’s a part of the city that has been historically disinvested. So it’s encouraging, Franklin says.
“We know that there’s going to be a need for housing,” he adds. “There’ll be a need for more restaurants, workspace, and we’re well poised to fill that need.”
Pictured at top: Doug Franklin says Warren will again be seen as a manufacturing hub.