WARREN — City council unanimously approved entering into contract negotiations Wednesday for a $2.4 million pedestrian bridge that will be a key component of the city’s Peninsula project.

The bridge will extend along West Market Street, spanning from Perkins Park to downtown between Thumm’s Bike and Clock Shop and the office of the Greater Warren-Youngstown Urban League.

The ordinance authorizes the mayor and service director to accept bids for the bridge’s construction. City records and construction industry listings show A.P. O’Horo Company, a Youngstown-based general contractor specializing in bridges and infrastructure, is involved in the project.

Mayor Doug Franklin described the project as “a very important piece of legislation as part of a comprehensive plan for our Peninsula project.”

The project will not be funded through city dollars because it is part of a $4.3 million Appalachian Community Grant grant awarded in 2024 for downtown riverfront improvements and a $2 million city investment in the Peninsula project.

The overall Peninsula initiative, estimated at $150 million to $160 million in public and private funds, will include a hotel, residential units, a food hall, parking deck and office space.

Franklin added, “It’s going to bring a lot of things, not only to the peninsula project, but to the downtown and the amphitheater as well,” he said. “And those benefits will be realized way before the Peninsula project is complete because it will add another access point to the amphitheater and will connect our downtown to Perkins Park and entertainment venues as well.”

Councilman Todd Johnson, I-1st Ward, chair of the engineering, planning and building committee, echoed the mayor’s enthusiasm in his comments.

“This is a long time coming,” Johnson said. “The city has been preparing to begin the infrastructure work. Remember, as a part of this massive investment and development, the city has to do its part, and should do its part in building a robust and attractive infrastructure that would assist those developers and those investors who would like to be a part of this burgeoning development in downtown Warren.”

Johnson talked about the bridge’s potential to link vibrant community spaces. “Bringing that connectivity from Perkins Park to the peninsula area, we see how vibrant Perkins Park is now with all of the improvements, with all of the concerts in the summer, and we see how vibrant the peninsula is slated to be,” he said.

In other action, Councilwoman Tina Milner, D-2nd Ward, announced a traffic and safety committee meeting at 4 p.m. Jan. 27 to address overnight parking issues hindering sanitation workers from accessing garbage cans.