Animal Welfare League to have groundbreaking ceremony

Staff report

VIENNA

The Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County will have a groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at the site of its $4.5 million building project at the former ThunderPlex on Youngstown- Kingsville Road.

Assisting in the ceremony will be U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-13th; state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd; and other area officials and AWL board members.

The project, which consists of converting the former indoor/outdoor softball complex into a state-of-the-art animal shelter and education center, began in early 2013.

It will have several phases, but the league plans to move operations from its Brunstetter Road location in Lordstown to the new facility by the end of August.

Since purchasing the building, the league has repaired the roof, hired an architect and construction company and done electrical work, plumbing and poured 500 yards of new concrete for the foundation.