LORDSTOWN, Ohio - Nearly a year after first announcing plans to locate a warehouse and distribution center in Lordstown, the TJX project has cleared its final hurdle. 

The Army Corps of Engineers issued a water quality certification for the project on Friday, clearing the way for a groundbreaking early next month. 

The project is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs. 

The project has been met with enthusiasm by community leaders but has also been the source of controversy.  

Some Lordstown residents voiced opposition to the project, asking that the company consider a location other than it's proposed site on Ellsworth-Bailey Road. That led to a ballot initiative to deny zoning for the project and, when that measure failed, a court battle. 

Last week, the Ohio EPA gave the project the go-ahead and the permit issued by the Army Corps was the final regulatory bar to clear before breaking ground. 

No date has been given for breaking ground for the facility, but it is expected to happen in early April.