WARREN — Trumbull County Planning Commission officials have noted the Trumbull County Transportation Improvement District, formed in October 2023 under the leadership of Chairperson Nicholas Coggins and the TID Team, recently received news of two significant grant awards totaling $621,250 benefiting the residents and business community of Trumbull County.

Jim Davies, chairman of the planning commission board, said the first grant award of $500,000 will cover the cost of intersection improvements at Mines Road and state Route 46 in Howland. A left turn lane will be added with a new traffic signal and timing that will relieve congestion and delays, and improve safety conditions at the intersection, officials said.

Davies said the TID Team submitted and received funding in 2024 in the amount of $200,000 to cover the $250,000 project cost for the design work needed to move forward with the construction phase of the Mines Road and state Route 46 intersection improvement project.

He said another $50,000 was committed locally by the Trumbull County commissioners ($30,000), the Trumbull County Engineer ($10,000) and Howland Commons LLC ($10,000).

Officials said the Trumbull County commissioners allocated $94,186.59 in March 2025 as a local match for the Mines Road and state Route 46 intersection improvement project to ensure that the grant application remained competitive when it was submitted earlier this year.

Davies said to offset the required local match, Howland Commons LLC submitted a 629 Roadway Grant Application in May in the amount of $90,000 and awaits a response on whether these funds are to be awarded.

“The project benefits all the businesses in the Howland Commons Plaza as well as the businesses with access located on Mines Road and serves to create 205 new jobs, while retaining 360 others,” Davies said.

SECOND GRANT

The second grant award in the amount of $121,250 will cover design costs for improvements to intersections along County Highway 69, otherwise known as Pine Avenue.

Davies said the project is necessary to facilitate the proposed construction and operation of the Kimberly-Clark facility slated to begin construction on its operations this year.

The project benefits the Kimberly-Clark investment and all businesses south along County Highway 69 by ultimately improving highway access, and serves to create 491 new jobs, while retaining 764 others, officials said.

Warren City, the Western Reserve Port Authority and Howland Township worked together to provide the $28,750 in local match for the grant to ensure it remained competitive through the application process. Improvements being designed are located within Warren City and Howland, officials said.

“These much-needed grant funds were secured as a result of teamwork and great leadership. We are especially proud of Nicholas Coggins and the county’s designated economic development director for his role in all of these important economic development projects and many, many more. His work on the TID as chairperson is integral to its many successes in a very short time frame,” Davies said.

The TID Team is comprised of Coggins, assistant director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission; vice-chairperson Denny Malloy, Trumbull County commissioner; secretary / treasurer Martha Yoder, Trumbull County Auditor; David DeChristofaro, Trumbull County Engineer; James Kinnick, director, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments; and Chuck George.