(COLUMBUS, Ohio) --
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today
announced state support for 112 brownfield remediation projects that
will help clean up contaminated properties in Ohio to make way for
future economic development.
As part of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, the Ohio
Department of Development is awarding $192 million for projects
impacting 41 Ohio counties.
“These properties are vital spaces in our communities, ones that
are not only being wasted in their current capacity, but oftentimes
are a danger to their local communities,” said Governor DeWine.
“Today, we’re reclaiming these spaces for the future of our
residents, businesses, and communities.”
Today’s $192 million in grant awards includes approximately $187.8
million for 79 clean-up projects and $4.5 million for 33 assessment
projects. These grants are in addition to the $60 million in Ohio
Brownfield Remediation Program grants awarded in April. An
additional $98 million in funds will be awarded in the coming
months.
“This is revitalization at its finest,” said Lt. Governor Husted.
“These investments in cleaning up brownfields take blighted
properties and turn them into parks, housing, or economic
development sites that improve the quality of life for everyone in
the local community.”
Funds awarded today will help to assess and clean up industrial,
commercial, and institutional brownfield sites that are abandoned,
idled, or underutilized due to a known or potential release of
hazardous substances or petroleum. Following site remediation,
properties can be redeveloped to revitalize neighborhoods and
attract new economic development.
“These funds are significant investments in the future of our
communities,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of
Development. “By cleaning up these hazardous sites, we’re creating
new opportunities for economic growth that will benefit businesses
and residents for years to come.”
MORE INFORMATION: Summaries of 112 Grant Awards
Examples among the 112 projects receiving funding are:
* Belmont County Health Department: $897,460 for the Belmont County
Habilitation Center Asbestos Abatement and Demolition Project.
Originally developed as an assisted living facility for residents
with intellectual disabilities, this 85-bed facility served six
counties in Southeast Ohio beginning in 1981. The facility operated
as such until the early 2000s, and the building has been vacant
since. After remediation and development, the county plans to
construct a building to serve as the new home of the county health
department and as a county records building.
* Beacon Communities (Cuyahoga): $1,450,000 million for the
remediation of asbestos and lead paint at the Central High School
building, which has been vacant since 2013 and is currently a danger
to the neighborhood in its current condition. Initially constructed
in the 1880s for residential properties, the site was later an ice
cream factory in the 1920s, and all structures were demolished by
the late 1930s to make way for the construction of Central High
School. The building operated as a school until 2013 and has been
vacant since. After cleanup, the property will be renovated as
approximately 80 affordable apartments for seniors and community
space.
* Half Baked Holdings, LLC (Franklin): $3,113,983 for the
remediation of asbestos in the former Kroger Bakery along Columbus’
Cleveland Avenue Corridor. Kroger operated the bakery for more than
90 years until operations ceased in 2019. After cleanup, the
building will be a part of the larger Kroger Bakery redevelopment,
including residential apartments, restaurant and commercial space,
and office space.
* Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority (Hamilton):
$2,443,861.53 for the cleanup of asbestos and lead paint in the
Crosley Building, which was built in 1929 and served as the home to
the Crosley Radio Corporation until 1946. The site was then used
primarily for industrial purposes until it was abandoned in 2006 and
later condemned in 2012. The building will be redeveloped as The
Crosley, a 200-unit affordable housing project, including commercial
and studio space, a rooftop garden, and lounge space.
* Lawrence County Port Authority: $3,239,250 for the removal and
disposal of asbestos-containing materials present throughout the
South Point Biomass site. From the 1940s to the late 1990s, various
chemical plants producing ammonia, urea, melamine, fertilizer,
ethanol, and formaldehyde operated on the property and the
surrounding area. After remediation, the site will be available for
economic development efforts underway at the Point Industrial Park.
* Western Reserve Port Authority (Mahoning): $496,000 for the
removal of petroleum contaminants and groundwater remediation of
CASTLO Area A, which is a five-acre property that was once part of
the Youngstown Sheet and Tub Struthers division. After cleanup, the
site will be redeveloped as a mixed-use facility, supporting a new
retail outlet, indoor sports training, and small manufacturing
operations. Site acreage along the Yellow Creek and Mahoning River
will become a public park and gathering space for outdoor
activities.
* SP Rotunda (Montgomery): $823,624 for the cleanup of asbestos in
the Dayton Arcade's North Arcade, which has been vacant for nearly
30 years. The North Arcade's historic buildings make up more than
85,000 square-feet of space and are directly attached to the South
Arcade. Once completed, the North Arcade will feature a 91-room
Hilton Garden Inn with ground-floor retail and restaurant space.
* Muskingum County Land Reutilization Corp: $120,000 for asbestos
abatement at Munson Elementary, which was built in the 1920s and
used solely as an elementary school until 2005. The site has been
vacant for 17 years and is in poor condition. Brownfield Remediation
Program funds will allow for asbestos abatement throughout the site.
After cleanup, the county plans to rehabilitate the property as
mixed-income residential units.
* Port Authority of Northwestern Ohio (Putnam): $2,571,596 for the
remediation of asbestos and the removal of universal wastes at the
Display Components Manufacturing Facility. Since 1947, a variety of
industrial operations have utilized this site, primarily
manufacturing cathode ray tubes for televisions. Operations ceased
in 2002, and the site has remained largely vacant with buildings in
various states of disrepair. After remediation, some of the
buildings will be demolished for public safety, and the remaining
400,000 square-feet will be marketed to industrial users.
The Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program was created with support
from the Ohio General Assembly in the current operating budget.
Funding for the program is first come, first served with a $1
million set-aside for each county. Today's funding awards are the
final grants to be awarded as part of the first round of grant
funding. Applications for the next round, which is exclusively for
counites that have not yet exhausted their $1 million set-aside, are
currently under consideration. All remaining funds not used by
counties in the first two rounds will be made available statewide in
the third round, which will open for applications on July 1, 2022.
The Brownfield Remediation Program is part of Governor DeWine's Ohio
BUILDS Initiative, which focuses on supporting targeted solutions
that impact quality of life, such as water infrastructure
improvements, broadband expansion, brownfield redevelopment, the
demolition of blighted buildings, and more.
For more information, visit Development.Ohio.Gov/Brownfield.
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