Local leaders gathered in Lorain on Monday morning in support of a proposed Navy shipyard maintenance facility that would also form a partnership with the village of Lordstown.

Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Tim Ryan, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur joined Ohio business and labor leaders alongside representatives from Bartlett Maritime Corporation to show their support for the facility.

The facility would repair and service the U.S. Navy's submarines, and could create 4,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs in Lordstown.

"There are no workforces better equipped than Lordstown and Lorain to carry out the needs of our nation's submarine fleet," said Congressman Ryan. "Time after time, Ohio workers have showed up to answer our nation's greatest challenges. Now it's time our government shows up for Ohio workers."

Senator Brown echoed Ryan's sentiments, voicing his support for job creation and military investments across the state.

"Ohio workers have the talent and the skills to ensure we have a modern Navy, stronger than any in the world," said Brown. "I'm going to keep working with Tim and Marcy and with Ohio workers and companies to press for military investment in Ohio- and for all investments that have the potential to create Ohio jobs."

The project was first reported on in January of 2022, with Ohio being chosen as the site due to the state's industrial revenue bond program.

There are currently four Naval Shipyards in the country. Over the past decade, those four facilities have been unable to complete the required maintenance on the U.S. Navy's aircraft carriers and submarines on time, resulting in the call for a fifth facility.

A formal proposal for the facility is currently under review by the Navy. Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill told 21 New back in January that if granted final approval, ground breaking on the project could start as early as October 2022.