COLUMBUS — School and hospital expansions, a new firehouse and sanitation upgrades are among five area projects to receive funding from the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund.

“These projects will enhance our children’s education, our health and our safety,” said state Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario). “I am pleased we have been able to obtain significant funding for so many worthwhile endeavors.”

The following projects were awarded funding to Senate District 22:

• $1.5 million to Mansfield Christian School to add classrooms and cafeteria space. It will also provide a new Career Academy Program to connect students to local employers.

• $1.15 million to Avita Comprehensive Cancer Center to provide a new 26,000-square-foot cancer care facility. Fourteen chemotherapy rooms, a radiation oncology suite and a specialized pharmacy will be included.

• $600,000 to Plymouth Fire Department for a new firehouse to include a sleeping area, offices, training and community room.

• $1 million to Cinnamon Lake Sanitation for operation and maintenance upgrades.

• $1.4 million toward construction of the Akron Children’s Medina Health Center.

This one-time fund was established under the state’s current operating budget, House Bill 33, passed by the Ohio General Assembly in June 2023.

The One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund set aside $700 million that communities and organizations could apply for to help with projects that might not qualify as part of the state’s traditional capital budget that happens every two years.

Each chamber developed a plan for $350 million of the total amount while coordinating good-faith negotiations to determine projects for the OTSCIF.

The Senate Finance Committee will begin hearings on the bill addressing the OTSCIF funding immediately.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Christian project among 5 in Senate district granted funding