Governor DeWine announces more than $52M for demolition and brownfield remediation projects; East Monroe project awarded
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik Tuesday announced more than $52 million in support for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects across the state.
The Department of Development is awarding the funding through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program and Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. Both grant programs were developed by the DeWine-Husted Administration in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly to create room for new economic opportunities in areas that currently cannot be developed due to contamination or the presence of vacant, dilapidated structures.
Tuesday’s announcement represents the sixth round of funding for both programs.
The Ohio Brownfield Remediation grants announced Tuesday total more than $29 million to clean up and redevelop 36 hazardous brownfield sites in 23 counties, including nearly $10 million in funding for the remediation and redevelopment of the former Terrace Plaza Hotel, a historically significant part of Cincinnati’s Central Business District. Once remediated, the building will be redeveloped into residential apartments, retail spaces, restaurants and a public parking garage.
The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation was awarded $129,628 for the East Monroe Tank Farm.
The project involves assessing a former tank farm site that includes both above ground and underground storage tanks. The assessment will include a Phase I property assessment, geophysical survey, asbestos-containing materials survey and a Phase II property assessment to identify any environmental hazards for future remediation.
As previously reported, the land bank board also submitted applications for the former Rocky Fork Truck Stop, a former gas station in Hillsboro and a former machine shop in Greenfield.
Other local projects include two for Adams County ($497,450 for the former Manchester Pants Factory and $502,410 for the former Manchester Bi-Lo); one for Brown County ($696,000 for the former Higginsport School);
Since the launch of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, the Department of Development has awarded more than $490 million to support 462 projects in 84 counties.
The Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization grants announced Tuesday total $23.3 million to demolish 292 vacant, dilapidated buildings in nine counties, including the demolition of a former student housing facility on Capital University’s campus in Bexley.
Adams County was awarded $1,049,792 for 24 sites, including in Manchester, Peebles, Rome, Seaman, West Union and Winchester.
Highland County’s 41 submitted sites have still yet to be awarded.
Since the launch of the Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, more than $270 million in grants has been awarded to support more than 5,000 demolition projects in every county in the state.
Both programs are part of Governor Mike 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 and the demolition of blighted buildings.
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