Miles SmithThe Ohio Controlling Board released $31 million in state funds to support two projects in Mahoning Valley.
The board released $17.2 million from the Department of Development’s All Ohio Future Fund to the Western Reserve Port Authority to prepare about 1,000 acres in Trumbull County to entice major new industries to locate at the site.
Approximately $15 million will go toward surface transportation improvements to better accommodate heavy truck traffic, $6.62 million will pay for environmental remediation and $2.04 million will be used for sewers.
Paper products company Kimberly-Clark Corp. purchased a 560-acre portion of the site from the port authority for $9.9 million in December 2023.
The board also approved the release of $14.1 million from the state capital fund to help finance major renovations at Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University.
Plans call for a complete remodeling of the facility by opening up spaces, allowing more natural light, adding a large common food area and a black-box theater for performances. The renovations also will improve connectivity to the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center and revamp the Chestnut Room to accommodate larger gatherings.
The center will close May 5 at the end of spring semester for renovations to begin, although parts of the facility will reopen during construction. The project is scheduled for completion before the start of the 2027 fall semester.
