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More than $1 million approved for YSU building upgrades
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The state Controlling Board released more than $1 million for building improvements at Youngstown State University.
The funds will be used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electrical and other upgrades at Ward Beecher Science, Moser, DeBartolo, Tod and Jones halls, as part of a larger campuswide facilities update plan.
According to documents, systems in many YSU buildings have not been updated since they originally were constructed decades ago.
Western Reserve Mechanical of Niles submitted the low bid for the project.
In other business, lawmakers approved more than $427,000 to cover extra costs of bridge repairs on U.S. Route 62 in Mahoning County due to multiple railroad delays.
According to documents, the original bid of $16.9 million project covers about half a mile of the route in Youngstown, with grading, drainage, pavement, lighting and other improvements on the bridge that spans the Mahoning River and several sets of railroad tracks.
Work began in April 2014, but a debate over ownership of one railroad crossing area and a denial of a proposed temporary crossing delayed the overall project.
The repairs originally were supposed to be completed in June 2015, but the work was not done until November.
Also Monday:
The Controlling Board signed off on $3.2 million for work force training programs and related equipment at college campuses around the state. The total included $700,000 for YSU and $510,000 for Kent State University.
Lawmakers also approved nearly $3 million in grants for the state’s Edison Advanced Manufacturing Program, which works to companies with universities and other nonprofit groups to improve their operations. The total included $500,000 for the Youngstown Business Incubator’s advanced tooling acceleration project.
The board released $150,000 for a housing facility on Emery Avenue in Youngstown to be operated by the Youngstown Committee on Alcoholism.
The 2,265-square-foot building will house a dozen people and is adjacent to the Neil Kennedy Recovery Center, which provides addiction and mental health services, according to documents.
Lawmakers approved more than $2 million for design and related services for dam repairs at several state parks, including Lake Milton in Mahoning County.
According to documents, “Improvements are needed to bring the earthen embankment, concrete spillway and lake drain system at Lake Milton Dam into compliance with Ohio dam safety laws and rules.”
Virginia-based Schnabel Engineering will handle the work.