WARREN, Ohio – With the Peninsula project redesigning downtown and companies like Kimberly-Clark investing in the area, the city is on the upswing.
During the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s Good Morning, Warren event Tuesday at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center at Warren G. Harding High School, which was attended by a record-setting 260 people, Mayor Doug Franklin laid out some of the wins the city’s hard work has achieved recently and spoke optimistically about the future.
Franklin pointed to a report released in April by the Raymond John Wean Foundation and Greater Ohio Policy Center showing the city has “more than stabilized” with improvements in key areas, including a slight increase in population, a decline in poverty rates and an increase in homeownership with fewer vacant houses.
“Warren’s population is growing,” said Guy Coviello, Regional Chamber president and CEO. “Warren’s median age is declining faster than most. Warren’s median income is increasing more than most, so there are lots of good indicators that Warren is becoming bigger, younger and wealthier.”
The average sale prices of houses have doubled and, the median household income has increased at a faster rate than both the county and the rest of the state, Franklin reported.
“These gains are not accidental,” Franklin said of the numbers from the Wean Foundation. “They are the results of years of hard work by dedicated individuals, groups and organizations across our city. And my promise to you is this – my administration will not rest on these accomplishments but will continue to make every effort to achieve our goals toward a prosperous and healthy community for all of our businesses, and especially our residents.”
That future will include Kimberly-Clark, slated to bring more than 500 jobs and a $500 million payroll, investments creating the Peninsula neighborhood with retail, restaurants and hotels, as well as a pathway with a pedestrian bridge connecting the parks to downtown. The Mahoning River is being reopened for commercial activity and recreation.
The 86-acre West Warren Industrial Park investment will bring opportunities for future growth and additional employment as well. Coviello called it one of the most important projects for the city.
Franklin continued to list projects – an expansion by employee-owned Cleveland Steel Container into the city, slated to bring 42 jobs; a new Rural King, which plans to invest $6 million into the plaza; a MINI Cooper business; and an anticipated sci-fi museum.
Although there are concerns about the future of Insight Hospital & Medical Center Trumbull, Franklin said he and others are pushing for an investigation of the financial dealings leading to the closure of the hospital. But the mayor also pointed to a new Mercy Health facility to be built in Champion starting later this year, with an 18-month completion time.
717 Credit Union CEO John Demmler announced plans by the local financial institution to help grow the number of homeowners in Warren and Trumbull County. Employees of the credit union can receive a 1% reduction on their interest rate when buying a home in the county, while those buying a home in Warren will receive a 2% reduction. Additionally, Demmler said 717 is waiving all fees, such as application, inspection, loan origination and credit report, for those employees.
For more than 1,100 Workplace Partners of 717, Demmler said the credit union would like to offer their employees the same waiver on fees.
“I would rather, instead of people paying closing fees, that you keep that in your savings account,” Demmler said. “We’re going to do our work where we can to help advance housing in the Valley, and we hope people will partner with us.”
717 estimates the benefit will save borrowers about $3,500 on an average $130,000 home.
Steve Chiaro, superintendent/CEO of Warren City Schools, took the opportunity to talk about what an asset the new 14,000-square-foot Student Recreation and Wellness Center has been for students. Not only has the school been able to start an indoor track league and an esports team, but golf simulators are introducing the game to the future business leaders of Warren. The robotics team has a designated space, and students use the facility for strength and conditioning.
Pictured at top: Mayor Doug Franklin.