Port authority getting $785,000 building loan

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 COLUMBUS — The State Controlling Board has released funding to the Columbiana County Port Authority to build a new 22,000-square-foot facility. The controlling board approved a $785,000 loan Monday to the port authority for construction of the facility in the Leetonia World Trade Park, according to State Rep. Chuck Blasdel of East Liverpool, R-1st. Tracy Drake, the authority's chief executive officer, said that ground should be broken for the building next month. The facility will house a network operations center that will tie into fiber-optic lines that can carry large amounts of information. The center would serve as an information backup center. Drake estimated that up to 50 technology-related jobs will be created as a result of the project. B-Telecom Inc., the company that will run the center, will eventually buy the building under an agreement with the authority. "Having a modern facility already in place will be a tremendous asset in bringing new businesses to our area," Blasdel said. "I applaud the Columbiana County Port Authority and other local officials for their innovative approach to creating jobs and increasing investment in our community."