Ribbon cutting ceremonies have been set for Wed., Oct. 29 at 10:30 a.m. for the Forest Lawn Stormwater Park located n the site of the former Market St. Elementary School, 5555 Market St.
      In 2019 when the school closed, it opened the door for the development of a 14.6-acre green space that will become the Forest Lawn Stormwater Park.
      The stormwater park has been under development since the school closed and is designed to improve drainage flows in the Cranberry Run watershed.
      The park will provide improved surface water flows impacting up to 1,400 homes; and includes the creation of a passive park where people can gather and walk along a lighted sidewalk.
      The key feature of the site is the serpent-like waterway where during heavy rainfalls, the stormwater park can to hold up to the equivalent of 9-feet of water spread over the surface the size of a football field.
      The stormwater park is funded by a $1 million grant from Mahoning County Commissioners Anthony Traficanti, Carl Rimedio-Righetti and former commissioner David Ditzler; a $2.167 million FEMA/Ohio EPA hazard mitigation grant, a $500,000 Capital Grant secured by Rep. Al Cutrona, and a $750,000 Ohio Capital Grant announced by State Rep. Cutrona and former State Sen. Mike Rulli.
      In an agreement with the Boardman Local School Board, property for the stormwater park was formally transferred (donated) to the ABC Water and Stormwater District in Apr., 2022.
      Boardman Township officials expect the Forest Lawn Stormwater Park will help solve a long-standing issue of flooding in the neighborhood during heavy rain events and improve water quality in the Anderson Run – Mill Creek watershed.