The Western Reserve Port Authority is partnering with the city of Youngstown and 1st Ward Councilman Julius Oliver on a project to create a senior center on the southside.

The first step is to transition the ownership of a property at 64 Ridge street to an organization called Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership, or MYCAP.

"Our senior program just took off and you know one day we had thirty seniors and the next day we had a hundred and something seniors," said Shelia Triplett, Chief Executive Officer at MYCAP. " We have been attempting to meet with them in our little building," she said.

American Rescue Plan funds in the amount of $2 million dollars is going toward a place that seniors can just call their own. They'll be knocking out walls to make more space for seniors to hang out, share stories and recipes or make plans.

"I don't want them to ever forget that we love them and we are here for them," said Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown. "When we spend this dollar, we want to make sure that we can all ride by here in the next 10 to 15 years and say that's where our American Rescue Plan dollars went," he said.

"So we've got the plans in place for the youth center, we have an elderly center in place right now," said Councilman Oliver. "I think three visions came together and this is a great day for MYCAP and the elderly of our city," he said.

"This means so much to them," said Triplett. "When I told them about the possibility of us having a building, the tears in that room, I mean we had to get some tissue out because they just wanna be together," she said.

Triplett tells 21 News renovations to the building could be complete within the next 6 to 8 months.