Chamber Touts Grant to Cleanup Abandoned Gas Station

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The State of Ohio Controlling Board, at its meeting Monday, approved a Fast Track Abandoned Gas Station Grant of up to $100,000 to fund the cleanup of an abandoned gas station site on South State Street in Girard.

The former McQuaids station, which has been vacant for several years, was acquired by the Trumbull County treasurer through foreclosure last year, the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber said in a news release.

The abandoned gas station grant is the first to be awarded in the Mahoning Valley, and the potential to support additional projects in other communities is likely, said Lauren Johnson, manager of the 422 Corridor redevelopment project. The potential to support additional projects in other communities is likely, she added.

The chamber coordinated efforts to submit a grant application for the site, which had received funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Targeted Brownfields Assessment program to conduct phase I & II assessments, making it eligible to receive cleanup funds.

Along with the Trumbull treasurer’s office and the chamber, partners included Trumbull County Land Bank and the city of Girard.

The partners look forward to the next steps in scheduling tank removal, demolition and cleanup activities at the site, the chamber said.

“Teamwork pays off; we were successful because of the dedicated work put forth by this group,” Sam Lamancusa, Trumbull County Land Bank president, said. “Thanks to the efforts of the Regional Chamber, Land Bank staff, city of Girard and the county prosecutor’s and treasurer’s offices, we were able to put together a successful, first-of-its-kind grant application. I look forward to many more such projects.”

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