COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Controlling Board approved a $1.3 million roadwork development grant request for the West Warren Industrial Park project.
The city of Warren requested the grant.
“It’s very exciting, welcome news,” Mayor Doug Franklin said. “We’ve been working with the property owner and the state to try to make those infrastructure improvements with the reconstruction of Nevada at the intersections of Market Street in Nevada and Victoria Street to assist the property owner in attracting new jobs for his industrial park. We believe in the project.”
Paperwork submitted as part of the Controlling Board’s Monday meeting agenda said the roadwork will consist of the reconstruction and widening of about 650 linear feet of Nevada Avenue Southwest between West Market Street and Victoria Street Southwest. It also involves the reconstruction and widening of about 730 linear feet of Victoria between Delaware Avenue Southwest and Nevada and wider corner radii on Nevada at the Victoria and West Market intersections.
The wider radii will accommodate increased truck traffic, which is expected in and out of the industrial park, the mayor explained.
“As a result of the project and state assistance provided, traffic flow and accessibility to the West Warren Industrial Park will be improved,” the paperwork says.
Roadwork grants are awarded for public roadwork improvements “that support the expansion or attraction of businesses,” it says.
Projects including widening, paving, road construction and reconstruction and right-of-way infrastructure improvements such as sewer or utility lines are eligible costs under the grants.
The industrial park is being developed by Sapientia Ventures LLC, a local venture capital group that also owns The Business Journal.
An August 2023 ceremonial groundbreaking for the project drew state and local officials as well as business and community leaders. A nearly 100,000-square-foot spec building offering modern manufacturing and warehousing space was the first building erected at the site, with plans for additional buildings.
“It’s a beautiful new building,” Franklin said. “There’s a lot of interest. We wanted to do our part to make sure that we were providing the infrastructure upgrades that are necessary to retain and attract new manufacturing jobs.”
The 86-acre site once served as housing for workers at the Ravenna Arsenal during World War II and later for industrial workers. To the west was the site of Warren Western Reserve High School. All of those buildings have been razed.
Other Business
In other business, the Controlling Board approved Youngstown State University’s purchase of two vacant parcels, totaling 0.1561 acres, in the Smoky Hollow neighborhood, for $25,000 from Barbara Jean Simpson, through the YSU Foundation.
“YSU intends to incorporate these parcels into broader planning efforts for this area,” according to an explanation for the request. “Together with other adjacent and nearby properties already owned by the university, the land may be used for future development that could include academic facilities, student housing, athletic and intramural spaces, as well as dining and retail.”
Having control of the property provides flexible long-term campus development and supports strategic growth in an area already central to YSU’s planning discussions, the explanation continues.
The purchase price reflects the appraised value of the property, and there will be no impact on tuition.
The panel also approved a request by the adjutant general’s department for nearly $3.3 million for construction, architectural and engineering services for the Ohio Army National Guard Springfield Behind the Meter Microgrid project.
The project will establish “an integrated on-site microgrid that provides continuous power and ensures uninterrupted facility operations during external grid outages,” the explanation for the request says.
Construction services will be provided by Dawn Inc. of Warren, which was the “most responsible and responsive bidder,” the explanation says. Heapy Engineering LLC of Dayton is the architect/engineer vendor.
The Controlling Board approved a request for another project that involves a Brookfield company. The Ohio Department of Public Safety, Ohio Highway Patrol, requested the release of $3.3 million to build a new 5,700-square-foot Ashtabula State Highway Patrol Post. Declan Construction Inc. of Brookfield, which submitted the lowest responsive bid, is the construction company.
The Ashtabula post was built in 1951 and has incurred increasing maintenance costs. It requires substantial repairs to its basic structural components, according to the explanation submitted with the request.
“Additionally, the existing land on which the post is constructed was recently found to be nonconducive to a structure of this size without a total foundation replacement,” it said.
Pictured at top: A nearly 100,000-square-foot spec building offering modern manufacturing and warehousing space was the first building erected at the West Warren Industrial Park.