YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Ohio Controlling Board will consider releasing more than $17 million to the Western Reserve Port Authority for work at the former BDM Steel site, which includes land where consumer products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. purchased 560 acres some 15 months ago.
The request for $17,241,380 from the All Ohio Future Fund is on the agenda for the controlling board, which will meet Monday in Columbus. The All Ohio Future Fund was established in the 2024-2025 state operating budget through Ohio House Bill 33 to invest $750 million to aid local communities with site-readiness and preparation to attract economic development projects, according to Controlling Board materials.
The funds will be used in combination with other state, local and private funds to pay for site preparation and construction of regional transportation improvements, and to remediate brownfield environmental conditions at a cost totaling nearly $23.58 million at the 1,000-acre site. The breakdown for how the funds will be spent is $14.91 million for surface transportation, $6.62 million for environmental remediation and $2.04 million for sewers.
The property is in the city of Warren and Howland and Weathersfield townships.
“It’s a really good opportunity to develop that site for future transportation needs,” said Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director. “It’s another way to incentivize any development in that region.”
Aside from the All Ohio funding, other funding sources include the port authority, $3.38 million; JobsOhio, $1.9 million; city of Warren, $1.04 million; and Youngstown Warren Development Partners, $10,761.
In late 2023, the port authority sold 560 acres of the approximately 1,000 acres it had acquired from BDM to Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark, which manufactures consumer paper products under brands including Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Kotex and Cottonelle.
Pictured at top: Site photo posted at the Western Reserve Port Authority website.