Antonio Announces $5.4B in Transformational Investments: Over $100M in Cuyahoga County

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) commended the Ohio Senate’s passage of the state’s capital budget (House Bill 2), which includes $70.6 million for projects within Ohio’s 23rd Senate District and over $100.5 million for Cuyahoga County as a whole.

“Investing in local projects large and small is critical for the growth of our state,” said Antonio. “This budget enables us to maintain and improve our infrastructure, support our education system, and create jobs right here in Northeast Ohio.”

Overall, the bill appropriates $3.5 billion in new capital funding, $717.8 million in One Time Strategic Community Investments Fund (OTSCIF) appropriations, and $1.98 billion in re-appropriations for unspent capital dollars. In Cuyahoga County, $100.5 million is invested through various projects that connect communities, support social services, and enhance local arts and culture.

These projects range from the Northcoast Connector, linking Clevelanders to the downtown waterfront; the May Dugan Center, which provides community programs, healthy food, clothing and career assistance; to the Beck Center for the Arts, a Lakewood-based non-profit that provides regional communities with access to arts education and the performing arts. Capital dollars will also provide funding for projects that offer safe spaces and housing for at-risk children in crisis, and shelters that support domestic violence survivors.

The bill also appropriates over $20 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant funds. These funds will support community food and nutrition providers like Open Doors Academy, a Cleveland-based after-school organization; and Say Yes Cleveland, a non-profit organization that provides tuition scholarships to CMSD graduates.

The bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Learn more about the projects supported by the capital budget here.