WARREN, Ohio - The City of Warren is laying the groundwork for what city leaders hope will be its next industrial boom. 

With the planned Kimberly-Clark facility as an anchor, officials are betting that investing millions in infrastructure improvements could pay off by attracting more companies in the years ahead. 

The effort is known as the Warren LiveZone Plan. Its goal is to create development-ready areas that meet the needs of businesses.

The plan focuses on redeveloping old industrial sites surrounding the Kimberly-Clark property on Pine Avenue, as well as another targeted area between Nevada Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard. 

Community Development Director, Mike Keys said the first step is understanding exactly what those areas need to support large-scale industry. 

"The purpose of the plan is to look at the infrastructure needs in both those areas, connectivity between the cities, looking at the rail lines, utilities. Basically, we want to know what else do we need to do to support this kind of industry in those areas," Keys said. 

A $150,000 grant from the Eastgate Council of Governments is helping fund the initial planning phase. However, carrying out the improvements will require millions more in state and federal grant. 

The director said the long-term benefits will extend beyond new buildings. 

"And of course, it's going to benefit the communities by improving the infrastructure in the streets, in those neighborhoods and surrounding areas. And it's also going to improve for the citizens, you know, job opportunities," Keys said. 

The project is still in its early stages.