YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – In 2024, the Western Reserve Port Authority advanced economic development in the Mahoning Valley through strategic investments in infrastructure, workforce development and regional collaboration.
The port authority entered 2025 with a lot of momentum, highlighted by the successful sale of 560 acres near Warren to Kimberly-Clark Corp. for redevelopment. Site preparation advanced throughout the year in 2024, as WRPA collaborated with its partners to develop the mega-site, one of the few in Ohio, and create jobs for the Valley.
“2014 was an exciting year for the port and much has been accomplished under the leadership of board chair Marty Loney and executive director Anthony Trevena,” says board member Sam Covelli.
The WRPA built on its record of redeveloping underused properties to get them back into productive use, increase property values and promote private investment in the region, according to Trevena. Among them is the former A&P grocery store at 1915 Belmont Ave. in Youngstown, which was acquired and is being renovated to become the new Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission.
In September, the WRPA acquired two prominent office buildings, City Centre One and the Commerce Building, demonstrating its commitment to support downtown Youngstown’s recovery and stability.
“Our board thought it was appropriate for us to look at this from a different perspective, on how we can help stabilize this part of the community,” Trevena says.
The port authority actively supports redevelopment and economic growth through a variety of projects, he adds. These efforts include receiving grant funds for brownfield remediation in Trumbull and Mahoning counties that pave the way for new businesses and housing opportunities as well as contributing to downtown revitalization through infrastructure and building facade improvements.
Meanwhile, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, managed by WRPA, is making strides with the rehabilitation and resurfacing of the taxiway and runways.
Grants received this year include $8 million from the U.S. Department of Defense, $17 million from the Federal Aviation Administration, and $3 million from the state of Ohio. WRPA staff worked with legislators from both political parties on the state and federal level to secure the funding, Trevena says.
WRPA’s partnership with the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission went a long way in acquiring funding for the regional airport, which also benefits the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. The infrastructure upgrades were completed at no cost to local taxpayers.
Another transformative effort at the airport is the development of an aviation education center to house an expansion of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics and the YNG Flight School. This will provide new educational opportunities in the region, connecting workforce development to the highly in-demand aviation industry. The education center project is supported by a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo emphasized the significance of the investment into the flight school, stating, “These investments will diversify Ohio’s economy by strengthening the state’s critical construction and aviation sectors and build regional economic resilience for decades to come.”