YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Trumbull County officials have approved the indefinite closure of a 1-mile stretch of Niles-Warren River Road, effective March 27, a move designed to unlock future development potential for Kimberly-Clark’s massive new manufacturing and distribution complex.
Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, and David DeChristofaro, Trumbull County engineer, explain why county commissioners voted to close the road between Burton Street and DeForest Street — a section that currently divides roughly 500 acres owned by Kimberly-Clark.
The closure will allow the property to become one contiguous mega site, removing a major obstacle to long-term expansion. Trevena says Kimberly-Clark made it clear from the very beginning that having a single, uninterrupted parcel of land was critical to their plans.
Kimberly-Clark has already committed to an $800 million investment and 500 jobs in phase one of the project and is now giving serious consideration to adding a regional distribution center. With hundreds of additional acres still available, leaders say the site could support decades of future growth.
DeChristofaro explains that engineering work on the road changes is now moving “full bore,” accelerating plans to reshape the area’s infrastructure around the project.