Thursday, May 17, 2018
CAMPBELL
The Campbell Board of Education approved a $827,494 contract for early site work for the Community Literacy Workforce Cultural Center – formerly known as the Activity, Recreational and Cultural Center.
The board awarded the project this week to Rudzik Excavating Inc., based in Struthers. Olsavsky Jaminet Architects of Youngstown is designing the building, which is expected to be completed sometime in 2019.
The project’s total cost is anticipated to exceed $11 million, according to a board statement.
The CLWCC will be along state Route 616 near the city’s K-7 school.
Schools Superintendent Matthew Bowen described the center as an “ecosystem of public-private partnerships” meant to serve both the student population and the broader community.
“We’re moving forward without a burden of tax to our local community, and we’ve secured the necessary funding to initiate construction,“ Bowen said.
Bowen said once the facility is operational it should generate enough revenue to support itself.
Eastern Gateway Community College and Stark College have partnered with the school district to provide early college opportunities at the center, and Valley STEM+ME2 will provide early STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education for students.
In addition to student-specific resources, the center is also planned to include a branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and a health center through partnership with Southwoods Health.
Mahoning County Educational Service Center, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley also are partnering with the school district on the project.
The facility also will be available to adults interested in retraining to find new jobs or prepare for re-entry into the workforce.
Bowen said investment from the state played a major role in the project’s progress thus far.
The center received a $300,000 infusion from the state capital budget after state Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, and John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, advocated for the project at the Statehouse.
“If this project wasn’t going to be a positive for the whole region I don’t think we’d see nearly the amount of state and regional support,” Bowen added.