Governor DeWine paid a visit to Warren on Thursday to announce about $50 million in state grants for economic development projects in Trumbull and Ashtabula Counties.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited Geneva and Warren Thursday to announce projects included in Ohio's Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative, which supports waterfront projects and downtown revitalization. As of early Monday, state officials had not released project details.

During his time in Warren, DeWine announced $4.3 million for the City of Warren to support the new Warren Waterway Trail to connect Warren's four riverfront parks to enhance walkability and allow for pedestrians and cyclists to access each park without needing to drive.

Additionally, the funding will build a new pedestrian bridge over the Mahoning River to connect Perkins Park to Courthouse Square in Downtown Warren.

DeWine went on to announce even more grant funding for the Valley with funding going to communities in both Trumbull and Mahoning Counties.

This includes $3.5 million for a boat launch in Niles, $372,000 for Western Reserve Greenway Trail renovations in Bristol Township, $3.8 million for improvements to Spring Commons Park in Youngstown, $1.1 million for the community river launch in Struthers and nearly $1 million for Waterfront Park and Canoe Livery in Lowellville. 

Mahoning and Trumbull Counties will be awarded about $14.2 million in total.

Earlier this week, the state awarded $152 million to communities in 12 southern and southeastern Ohio counties to expand access to local waterways, revitalize historic riverfront downtowns, and create new tourism and recreational opportunities.

The funding is from the $500-million Appalachian Community Grant Program which helps Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, and 29 other counties in Ohio's Appalachian region. 

All of this money comes from Federal ARP funds.

Governor DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel also announced a separate grant to support water quality and improved recreational opportunities along the Mahoning River. 

DeWine announced $5 million to support the demolition of the Main Street Dam to improve water quality and preserve the health of the aquatic life there.

This is part of an ongoing effort to get rid of all nine dams on the Mahoning River with the Main Street Dam being the last one on the list to be removed. DeWine says two of these dams have already come down and six more are currently going through the process of being removed.

DeWine says once all nine dams are demolished, this would free up to 32 miles of the Mahoning River, which can now be used for activities like fishing, canoeing and more.

Warren Mayor Doug Franklin added that the removal of the dam and this newly freed up space will unlock even more economic development opportunities for the Valley and attract more tourists to experience these activities.

"[Governor DeWine's] commitment to cleaning up the Mahoning River in bringing these dams down played a big part in the fund for Warren's future and the city's decision to invest $6 million of our ARPA funds into our parks," Mayor Franklin said.