Campus of Care Among Vibrant NEO ‘Champions’

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mahoning Valley Campus of Care has received an honorable mention in Vibrant NEO’s 2020 Champion Awards.

The Campus of Care opened in October as the result of work between several government agencies and nonprofits. Formerly the Youngstown Developmental Center, the 10-building, 35-acre site was closed in 2015 by then-Gov. John Kasich.

Now with new life, the campus offers respite care, recreation programs, healthy food production, medical services, youth and senior support services and spiritual support.

Among the partners at the site are Compass Family & Community Services, Flying High Inc., Alta Care Group, Easterseals, Meridian Healthcare, Cadence Care Network, Potential Development and I Am Boundless. At the October grand opening, officials said the goal was to have all tenants in their offices by January.

Involved in the Campus of Care’s redevelopment were Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Mahoning County Commissioners, Western Reserve Port Authority and state legislators.

Vibrant NEO, also known as the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, is overseen by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency. The group has created and published the Vibrant NEO 2040 reports for several counties in the region, offering objectives, recommendations, priority initiatives and indicators for “a vision and framework for the future of northeast Ohio.”

Recognized in the 2020 Champion Awards are:

• Jim Rokakis, retiring vice president of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and director of its Thriving Communities Institute.
• City of Lakewood for its affordable housing strategy.
• City of Lorain for its Broadway streetscape.
• Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency for its diversity and inclusion policy.

Also receiving honorable mentions are:

• Black River Advisory Committee for restoration work along the Black River in Lorain.
• Canal Diversion Dam Removal for improving water quality and expanding recreation opportunities along the Cuyahoga River.
• Intro Cleveland for a $144 million transit-oriented development project in Cleveland.
• Laketran for a new transit center with on-route electric charging stations.

Pictured: Western Reserve Port Authority Executive Director John Moliterno and Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board Executive Director Duane Piccirilli were among the officials that celebrated the rechristening of the Mahoning Valley Campus of Care in October.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.