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Mahoning Valley to get $24M from Ohio capital budget
and Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
About $24 million from the proposed Ohio capital budget is coming to the Mahoning Valley with $14 million of it going to Youngstown State University.
The $2.6 billion biennial capital-improvement package was unveiled Tuesday by the Republican leadership in the state Legislature and quickly introduced in the Ohio Senate.
The bill should be approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. John Kasich shortly since Republicans and Democrats met in recent months behind closed doors to work out the proposal.
“It’s just a formality now, so it should be passed soon,” said Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd. “They don’t allow amendments to the capital budget because everyone would run to get projects that were rejected in the budget.”
The capital budget includes funding for school improvements; public colleges and universities; roads, bridges and other infrastructure; state parks and dams; state prisons; health and human services projects; and community projects.
The $160 million for community projects – a small amount of the total budget – receives the most attention with members of the General Assembly seeking to obtain money for special projects in their districts.
Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties have $6,367,500 for 11 projects in that part of the proposed budget.
The three counties received $2,861,737 for seven community projects during the last capital bill in 2014.
“We did significantly better this year than in 2014,” Schiavoni said.
But, he said, “I’m a little disappointed for some of the projects and the groups that didn’t get funded. Hopefully, we can advocate for them in the next capital budget” in 2018.
At the top of the list of local community projects in the proposed budget is $3 million to YSU for the planned Mahoning Valley Innovation and Commercialization Center.
The estimated cost for the center and equipment is $40 million, and YSU requested $13 million toward that amount.
The center will be about 100,000 square feet and located either on or near the YSU campus.
The center will combine the business community with YSU, Eastern Gateway Community College and area career and technical centers, providing access to high-end manufacturing technology, said Mike Hripko, YSU associate vice president for research.
The center would house classes for both YSU and EGCC and the surrounding county career and technical centers and, hopefully, be useful for entrepreneurs, Hripko said.
Also included in the community projects part of the proposed budget:
$1.25 million for interior improvements to the DeYor Performing Arts Center in Youngstown.
$500,000 for facade improvements to the Henry H. Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown.
$500,000 for improvements to the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.
$200,000 to the Youngstown Business Incubator for work at its Tech Block Building 5, the former Vindicator building in Youngstown.
$200,000 for an elevator project at W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren.
$100,000 for the expansion of First Step Recovery, a drug and alcohol detox and treatment center in Warren.
$67,500 for renovations to the swimming pool at Waddell Park in Niles.
$300,000 for restrooms at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds in Lisbon.
$200,000 for the rehabilitation of a bowstring arch bridge in Lisbon.
$50,000 for expansion of facilities at Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center in St. Clair Township.
Among projects not included in the proposed capital budget are $1.2 million to fully fund a deployment hub for military units at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna; $1 million for the $6.1 million expansion of St. Joseph Warren Hospital’s emergency department; $1,322,000 for renovations to Eastwood Field in Niles; and $1 million for Youngstown’s $6 million proposal to build an amphitheater at the Covelli Centre and to develop a riverfront park along Front Street.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t receive money for the amphitheater and park,” said Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally. “That project is going to move forward and be done in 2017 or 2018. I’m happy for the university and the other projects – DeYor, Stambaugh, Butler and the business incubator. That’s about $5.5 million going into the core center of Youngstown.”
State Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, said the air-base project possibly was rejected because it’s a federal facility, but isn’t sure that’s the reason.
Of the seven projects Cafaro submitted for Trumbull County, her top two priorities – the First Step Recovery expansion and Packard elevator – are being funded.
“I’ve been trying to get money for the Packard elevator since I started in the Senate” nearly 10 years ago,” she said.
In a separate recommendation from the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Commission, YSU is slated to receive $11 million for various projects.
Projects in that commission’s recommendation focus on maintaining investments, building world-class programs, workforce development and career opportunities and modernizing learning environments.
Of the $11 million recommended for YSU, $7.25 million falls under maintaining investments. That amount includes the renovation of Ward Beecher Hall at $2.5 million and the Jones Hall Student Success Facility at $2 million.
Improvement to Meshel Hall, priced at $2 million, also is planned. That building hasn’t seen a general buildingwide renovation for many years. An additional $750,000 is for campus developments including improvement of the campus core.
The remainder of YSU’s funding, $3,750,000, falls into the category of modernizing learning environments. That project is to renovate and upgrade academic areas on campus.
Eastern Gateway is to share in $14.4 million with other colleges to increase career counseling.
EGCC also is slated to get $1,820,000 for a student success center.