The effort to create the Mahoning Valley Campus of Care — a multi-use residential and workforce training initiative at the former Youngstown Developmental Center after it was closed — has caught the eye of a global economic development organization.

The International Economic Development Council has given its prestigious Golden Award to officials who stood up for the campus.

The award recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, honoring organizations for their efforts in creating positive change in communities.

Given the award were the Western Reserve Port Authority, Mahoning County commissioners, Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities also was a partner in creating the campus.

The facility on East County Line Road in Austintown is a campus of 10 buildings that sit on 35 acres and offer mental health treatment, developmental services, education, youth services and job training.

Said Mahoning County Commissioner David Ditzler, “We are most proud that we have been able to unite government and the private sector to provide the much-needed services for people with disabilities in our Valley.”

Said Anthony Trevena, executive director of the port authority, “The whole effort demonstrates the value we bring by coming together and finding solutions where everyone wins.”

The initiative generates economic impact by creating 344 full-time jobs and more than 100 part-time jobs, establishing local food production, job training programs for teens with disabilities and a coffee shop run by former foster children.

“These agencies were able to come together to take a vacant set of buildings and create one of the most unique partnerships in mental health service delivery in the county. Now we have beautiful facilities to serve our community. We were able to create new jobs and assist those with disabilities to become self-sufficient citizens,” Duane Piccirilli, executive director, Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said.

Agencies at the campus include Alta Behavioral Healthcare, Boundless Inc., Compass Family and Community Services, Flying High Inc., The Helms Foundation, Cadence Care Network and The Workshops Inc.

Youngstown Developmental Center, a residential facility for the developmentally disabled, closed in June 2017, but the state maintained it and invested $1.1 million to repair the underground power system.

When a bid for state funding for facilities upgrades was eliminated because of the pandemic, Mahoning County commissioners stepped up, agreeing to spend up to $2 million through bond sales and general fund contributions to allow upgrades at the site to proceed.

The port authority and the mental health and recovery board were brought in to assess the property and determine its worthiness for re-use. Former state Sen. Joe Schiavoni and former state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-Youngstown, introduced legislation to give the mental health board the option to buy the property for $10.

Commissioners bought the land and transferred it to the mental health board. The port authority board awarded the contracts to upgrade the property and buildings, and is overseeing leasing and managing for the facility at the moment. In the future, the agencies will have the option to acquire their buildings at a low cost.

The International Economic Development Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,500 members, it is the largest organization of its kind and works to promote economic well-being and quality of life.