CHAMPION — Woodland Meadows, which provides senior housing in the township, has secured a $1.95 million United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan for remodeling and improvements.

Inside renovations at the 45-year-old business at 632 Champion Street East will begin in April. Outside work could begin in June. Work will include repairs to the roof, paving and sidewalks.

Emily Varner, president of the board of trustees that operates Woodland Meadows, said at Tuesday’s township trustees meeting that after more than eight years of trying, the nonprofit has been able to secure a USDA loan.

“The $1.9 million is a sizable sum to do a lot of renovations and infrastructure work that needs to be done to keep Woodland Meadows a wonderful place for people to live,” Varner said. “We have been a part of this community since our groundbreaking in 1980. We have 50 to 60 senior citizens in 55 units and we operate as a nonprofit.”

She said 45 years ago, someone had the foresight that Champion needed a living facility like this for senior citizens and those with disabilities. She said several Champion churches were the ones who helped get Woodland Meadows started 45 years ago. Varner said a $1.4 million loan was secured by the committee to get the Champion community senior housing facility established in May 1980.

The general contractor for the project is Strohmeyer General Contracting Inc. of Mineral Ridge and architects are Olsavsky Jaminet Architects Inc. of Youngstown.

“Woodland Meadows is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication of many civic-minded residents of Champion Township. The project is something of which we can be proud, yesterday, today and tomorrow,” Varner said.

Varner said they are looking for community members who would like to serve on the board with the next meeting set for 6 p.m. March 17.

Trustee Chairman Doug Emerine said the $1.9 million is exciting news for the business.

In other business at the trustees meeting, Lauren Hill, director of government affairs for the Trumbull County engineer’s office, said trustees will meet with engineer David DeChristofaro on March 26.

Fiscal Officer Laurie Jo Miller said the township spent $44,000 this winter on salt because of heavy snowfall and icy weather.

Hill said salt orders for the 2026-27 year will be discussed as orders will begin being taken in April. She said this year the engineer’s office sold salt to 41 local communities, including Champion, at $48 per ton.

Also at the meeting, Andrew Cline, outreach director of the Pentecostals of Champion, said the church opened at the property off Cleveland Avenue between Huntington Bank and Speedway.

He said congregation members plan to become active in the community with different events for the public, such as an Easter egg hunt. Emerine said the township has property available for the Pentecostals of Champion to host such events.