COLUMBUS, Ohio – Higher education, infrastructure, parks, health care and cultural institutions across the Mahoning Valley are in line for millions of dollars in state support.
Youngstown State University would receive more than $13 million in the Ohio Senate version of the capital budget, including $3.5 million for YSU-Steubenville.
“We are grateful to the Ohio General Assembly, and especially to House and Senate leadership and the Lake to River delegation for their strong support of Youngstown State University through this capital budget investment,” YSU President Bill Johnson said in a statement.
The appropriation, including $3.5 million specifically appropriated “for our new YSU-Steubenville location, will allow us to address critical infrastructure and safety on our Youngstown campus while supporting the launch of YSU-Steubenville this fall,” Johnson said.
The new campus is at the site of the former Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville. That college closed in 2024 amid financial and accreditation challenges.
“These investments, along with those made by Gov. [Mike] DeWine and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, strengthen our ability to serve students, meet workforce demands and contribute to the economic growth of northeast Ohio and the upper Ohio Valley,” Johnson continued in the statement.
Funding in the measure for YSU also includes $3.3 million for campus roof replacements, $1.8 million for elevator safety upgrades and replacements and $1.17 million each for its dental hygiene expansion and instructional space upgrades.
The Senate’s version of the budget includes $750,000, also under YSU’s total, for the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense.
“We are excited and grateful for the funding towards the Innovation Hub building renovation which will go towards supporting the first phase of renovation,” said Megan Malara, Innovation Hub director. “This first phase will prepare space for several businesses to establish operations in addition to many of the whole of building services required.”
YBI led the request and is spearheading the renovations of that building, Malara said.
Barb Ewing, YBI CEO, was also pleased.
“We’re thrilled with the announcement from the state for the additional support for the Innovation Hub facility,” she said. “We’re so grateful for state Sen. Al Cutrona and state Rep. Lauren McNally for making this a priority for the region, and the rest of the Lake to River Caucus – State Reps. Nick Santucci, Tex Fischer, Monica Robb Blasdel, Dave Thomas and Sarah Fowler Arthur. This was a heavy lift for the legislators; it was a very difficult budget cycle compared to previous years. Their understanding of this project’s impact to the region and commitment to making it happen got us across the finish line.”
Projects in Trumbull County are in line to receive more than $3 million if the capital budget is signed into law. That includes $1.47 million for various parks, trails and athletic facilities in the county; $450,000 for the Trumbull County regional fire training center; $400,000 for an expansion at Akron Children’s Warren health center; $250,000 for an infrastructure project at Medici Museum of Art; $200,000 for improvements at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds; and $150,000 for the Museum of Science Fiction & Fantasy Arts.
“We are incredibly grateful for this capital improvement funding, which will allow us to make meaningful investments in our facility and continue enhancing the visitor experience at Medici Museum of Art,” said Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, museum executive director. “These improvements will strengthen our ability to preserve and present world-class exhibitions while ensuring the museum remains a vibrant cultural resource for our community for years to come.”
The $150,000 appropriation for the Museum of Science Fiction & Fantasy Arts, which will be operated by the Trumbull County Historical Society, would go toward construction and renovation at the museum’s building, said Meghan Reed, TCHS executive director. The historical society’s goal is to have the first phase of the museum ready to open by the end of 2028.
“We are in the process now of finalizing phase one,” she said. “We know that we won’t be opening the full building – all four floors – to the public at once, and we’re working with the architects and the exhibit design firm to create a meaningful and thoughtful experience using part of the building, and our fundraising efforts will determine how much of the building will be able to open within that first phase.”
Columbiana County’s funding includes $300,000 for Columbiana Project Playground, an initiative dedicated to building an all-inclusive playground at Harvey S. Firestone Park. City Manager Lance Willard said the money would go toward the project’s second phase, which includes buying more playground equipment, creating a community learning center and adding restrooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The learning center would provide space for educational opportunities, school field trips, community meetings and fitness classes. Strollo Architects designed the space to connect to the new playground, giving families and caregivers an additional space.
Also among projects in Columbiana County is the Salem Village Green Park, which would receive $600,000. The park is located at State Street and Lincoln Avenue and includes a gazebo, a fountain and a statue celebrating veterans.
Kent State University’s East Liverpool and Salem branches each would receive $450,000. That would fund Purinton Hall renovations at East Liverpool and main classroom heating, ventilation and air conditioning at Salem.
“Providing support for local projects means making an investment in our neighbors,” Cutrona, R-33rd, said in a news release Thursday. “I know that each one of these projects will leave a lasting impact on the Valley and eastern Ohio.”
The full list of what’s included in the Ohio Senate version of the capital budget can be found HERE.
Business Journal reporters Denise Dick, George Nelson and Deanne Johnson contributed to this report.