Commissioners dedicated to Champion development

Educational Highway’s role must be addressed

WARREN -- Each one of Trumbull County's three commissioners believe Educational Highway, in an area of Champion that's primed for development, needs to be made a dedicated road by the county as soon as possible.

But one commissioner, Niki Frenchko, believes the county needs to work with Champion and Warren to create a Joint Economic Development District, which she said would allow the county to establish which of the three governmental bodies would be responsible for basic maintenance and which would provide emergency services.

Educational Highway is located off Mahoning Avenue north of the state Routes 5 / 82 outerbelt and runs east to Kent State University at Trumbull and Trumbull Career and Technical Center.

Frenchko suggested Trumbull County continue its maintenance of the road and Warren provide emergency services, because Champion's fire department lacks equipment sufficient to handle a large fire.

Creating the economic development district, Frenchko said, would make it easier for the county to receive state and federal funds needed to develop the property.

Land off Educational Highway was being looked at by Mercy Health-Youngstown to relocate St. Joseph Hospital in Warren.

The health care system announced in May 2022 plans to acquire 62.8 acres near the university to build a new 400,000-square-foot hospital. However, it pulled back and placed the plan on hold in December of that year, citing "national economic volatility, inflationary pressure and financial challenges health care systems nationwide are experiencing."

Before the formal announcement of the project, Mercy Health sought assurances from Trumbull County that no legal concerns existed about Educational Highway being publicly owned. It was a necessary piece for the project to proceed.

Trumbull County has maintained the road since it was accepted as a county road in 1978, Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, who supports the public designation, said.

At the moment, Cantalamessa said, the county is doing what's needed to get the designation done, which he expects in the next several weeks.

The Trumbull County Engineer's Office is required to determine Educational Highway is in good condition before it can be dedicated.

Cantalamessa, however, disagreed with Frenchko that Trumbull County needs to be part of economic development district.

"We don't enter into JEDDs," Cantalamessa said. "JEDDs are done by cities and townships. I don't know why we would hire an attorney to oversee a JEDD.

"This is a lot of politics going on," he said. "We are working diligently to make sure the road will be dedicated. The dedication will be done through our office."

Attorney Thomas J. Wilson of the Youngstown-based law firm, Comstock, Springer and Wilson, in an Oct. 18 letter to commissioners stated a statutory dedication will serve as formal dedication of Educational Highway as a county road.