Nine Mahoning Valley projects, including the former Niles General Electric Glass site and the Gasification Plant in Warren, received more than $12.4 million in state grants for brownfield remediation that will assist with economic development.
The nine local projects were among 112 statewide getting $192 million in grants through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program as announced Friday by the Department of Development.
The program has $350 million in it with $60 million for 78 projects, including $3.4 million for the former St. Joseph Riverside Hospital in Warren, announced April 26.
Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday of the 112 projects: “These properties are vital spaces in our communities, ones that are not only being wasted in their current capacity, but oftentimes are a danger to their local communities. Today, we’re reclaiming these spaces for the future of our residents, businesses and communities.”
The four Trumbull County projects, all awarded to the land bank, were for a total of $3,255,623 while five Mahoning County projects received a total of $9,187,610.
The former GE plant in Niles project is getting $1,726,807 in funding for the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater.
After the cleanup, the Cleveland Steel Container Corp. plans to move from its location at 412 Mason St. to the former GE site.
A 69,000-square-foot structure is there and the company plans to build another 120,000-square-foot building to accommodate its operations, according to the governor’s office.
GE operated there starting in 1912 and provided molten glass for the manufacture of glass portions for light bulbs The plant closed in 2008. At its height, it employed 500 workers.
All of the GE buildings have been demolished with the existing 69,000-square-foot building on the site used as dry storage and operations for a contracting company.
The former Gasification Plant, owned by the city of Warren, is getting $1,173,434 for the removal of contaminated soils and oils in groundwater and other remedial work to ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the governor’s office.
The vacant property has an industrial history dating to the late 1800s and has been an incinerator, ammonia well and has stored coke and coal. Coal tar is present on the property.
After it’s cleaned up, the site will be marketed for residential, commercial or industrial development.
The former Republican Steel office building at 999 Pine Ave. SE in Warren is getting $55,382.
In the 1920s, the property was used for a dry cleaner and residential homes. A gas station and auto body repair shop later were built with all of the structures demolished in the 1950s. The location was vacant until the late 1970s when a Republic Steel office building was constructed there.
After remediation work is finished, Megojoule Ventures, an energy storage investment company that is part of the BRITE Energy Innovators portfolio, will provide the space for net-zero energy research and development. Megojoule bought the building last year for $750,000.
The office building is adjacent to the former legacy Republic Steel plant.
The 1,025 acres at the former steel plant site is being considered for redevelopment.
Of that acreage, 825 of it is considered prime industrial development space and a transportation corridor to Lordstown.
The land bank received $300,000 Friday for an assessment of the other 200 acres at the former plant site. That land is west of the Mahoning River adjacent to the former ArcelorMittal coke plant, now owned by Cleveland-Cliffs.
That property is current vacant and the remaining buildings are unsafe, according to the governor’s office. An assessment will be completed on the property to determine if there is any contamination from the site’s industrial history.
The property creates the opportunity to access state Route 45 and the industrial development in the corridor, the Ohio Turnpike and Interstate 76 though an access road likely is needed.
The Western Reserve Port Authority owns the 200 acres as well as the 825. Running along Pine Avenue SE, it stretches nearly two miles and touches Warren, Lordstown, Howland, Weathersfield and Warren Township.
Of the five Mahoning County projects getting funding Friday, three are in Youngstown and one each in Struthers and Sebring.
The largest award was $6,962,250 for downtown Youngstown’s 20 Federal Place. The city is looking to redevelop the building with a cost as much as $60 million.
The two other Youngstown projects are $149,803 for 131 W. Woodland Ave., the former Potential Development School and a former Lutheran church and school, and $86,887 for 2307 Market St., a 101-year-old building that used to be an ice cream shop decades ago.
The remediation of the former Royal China Co. in Sebring received $1,492,670 and a cleanup for five acres at a Struthers site that once was the location of Youngstown Sheet & Tube received $496,000.
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