Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel is scheduled to be on hand Wednesday afternoon for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center for a new 13,000-square-foot Health and Wellness Center.

Located on the MCCTC campus in Canfield, the center aims to improve access to career technical education in fields like health care and skilled trades. It will also expand access to mental and physical health services for students, families, and the wider community. MCCTC anticipates the facility will serve more than 6,500 people annually in the Mahoning Valley upon completion.

MCCTC Superintendent John Zehentbauer said the center will help fill a health care gap in the area between the campus, Sebring, and Alliance. He noted that students often had to leave campus for basic health care needs.

The project is funded in part by over $5 million in grant money awarded through the Appalachian Community Innovation Centers Grant Program. The center is a partnership with Mercy Health and Cadence Care Network and will provide primary and preventive care, as well as mental health services. It will also be a key component of an upcoming Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at MCCTC.

Other speakers at the groundbreaking included Michael Stanko, MCCTC Board Vice President; Kathleen Harley, President of St. Elizabeth Youngstown, Mercy Health; and Matt Kresic, CEO of Cadence Care Network.

Construction on the Health and Wellness Center is expected to be completed by August 2026. The facility will be open after regular school hours.