Boardman, North Jackson Sites Selected for EV Charging Stations

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Two Mahoning Valley sites are among 22 locations across Ohio slated for electric vehicle charging stations through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or NEVI, program, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday.

Tiffany Plaza, located at the intersection of Interstate 680 and U.S. Route 224 in Boardman, and a recently completed Sheetz travel center at the Interstate 76 and North Bailey Road interchange in North Jackson are listed as winning bid sites that secured project funding.

The Boardman project at Tiffany Plaza is expected to cost $928,733 – and would receive $742,987 in federal funds, coupled with $185,747 of private investment to install new EV fast chargers at the location. The North Jackson Sheetz station, at an estimated cost of $932,670, is earmarked for a federal grant of $746,136 and $186,534 from the private sector. 

Francis Charging LLC is listed as the developer for both local projects.

The governor said the federal program would allocate a total of $16 million in second-round funding toward the development of 22 EV fast-charging stations at sites near Ohio interstates, state routes and U.S. routes. That money would be matched with another $4 million from the private sector to complete construction and installation.

Construction of the new stations could begin in late 2024 and would continue through 2025, the governor’s office said.

“As more electric cars and trucks make their way to Ohio roadways, we’re continuing to build the infrastructure needed to enable easy and convenient travel,” DeWine said.

Round 2 NEVI funding targeted EV charging sites along Interstates 270, 275, 675, 680, 71, 76 and 77; state Route 15; and U.S. Routes 23, 30 and 33.

“This milestone keeps Ohio at the forefront of transportation innovation, fulfilling our mission to position ODOT for the future,” said Jack Marchbanks, director of the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The addition of these new stations moves Ohio closer to its goal of locating fast chargers every 50 miles throughout the state, the governor’s office said. Each location will be no more than 1 mile from the freeway and will include four charger ports with at least 150 kilowatts of power available per port. These stations will also include access to amenities such as restrooms and a place to purchase food and beverages.

Pictured at top: A 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E charges at an electric vehicle charging station in London, Ohio, on March 8, 2024. (AP Photo | Joshua A. Bickel, File)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.