Nearly a decade after the wind-down of the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, Ohio's new state budget commits the first significant investment for the clean-up and remediation of brownfields across the state.
July 1 marks the beginning of the State of Ohio's new fiscal year, with the enactment of the new biennial budget. The budget, passed earlier this week by the Ohio General Assembly and signed just before midnight by Governor Mike DeWine, includes $350 million in one-time spending for the clean-up, remediation, and revitalization of brownfields, as well as $150 million for the demolition of vacant and abandoned commercial and residential sites around the state by county landbanks.
Under the newly enacted budget, each of Ohio's 88 counties will receive $1 million which can be spent in the next year on the remediation of brownfields, and a further $500,000 for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and the revitalization of surrounding properties on sites that are not brownfields. The remaining funds for both programs ($262M for brownfields, $106M for demolition) will be awarded to projects on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Both programs will be administered by the Ohio Department of Development, which will need to write rules governing the program and must ensure the program is running by the end of September, 2021.
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has been long-time advocates for the return of funding for the remediation of brownfields in Ohio since the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) depleted its funding in 2013. The CORF program invested nearly $800M in brownfield revitalization funds over a 13 year period and produced a nearly five to one return on investment, annually contributing more than $1 billion to the state's GDP in clean-up costs. GOPC sees these new programs as an opportunity to jump-start our state's economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will significantly improve neighborhoods, downtowns, and additional development around the state.
GOPC looks forward to working with the Department of Development and committed stakeholders, like the Ohio Land Bank Association, to ensure the Brownfield Remediation Program and Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Programs are designed in a way to have the most impact on communities throughout Ohio. Be sure to check back for updates throughout the summer as details of the new programs becomes available.
We thank the members of the Ohio General Assembly, Speaker Bob Cupp, President Matt Huffman, Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted for their leadership and commitment to invest in brownfield sites across the state. We remain committed to enactment of a long-term, sustainably-funded program which will ensure brownfields never again become a hinderance to economic growth or community development throughout the state, but welcome this substantial one-time investment to eliminate these scourges of economic progress in Ohio.
With this funding, we can now continue to Build a Greater Ohio.
About the Greater Ohio Policy Center
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with a mission to improve Ohio’s communities through smart growth strategies and research. Our vision is a revitalized Ohio. We undertake original research and analysis, develop pragmatic policy recommendations and advocacy strategies, and deploy our convening power to meet the needs of Ohio’s local change-makers. We operate statewide.