The Allen County Land Bank celebrated its first brownfield project just a couple of weeks ago, and now the state has helped grant their wishlist with a new round of funding.
The Allen County Land Bank received a little over 1.3 million dollars to take down the Macy's section of the Lima Mall.
Ohio has awarded them nearly three million dollars for two large projects. They got a little over 1.3 million dollars to take down the Macy's section of the Lima Mall. According to the governor, the land will be used to create a new anchor store, which could bring in around 200 jobs. Another 1.5 million dollars will be used to tear down the former TB hospital, which has been abandoned since the 1970s and has been a safety concern with frequent trespassers.
The brownfield grants help not only tear down buildings but also make the land environmentally safe, with asbestos and light removal, so it can be redeveloped.
The former TB hospital, which has been abandoned since the 1970s, has been a safety concern with frequent trespassers.
"What we are hoping this demolition on all these projects will pave the way for new development. So bringing in new buildings, new structures, new jobs, new sales tax, new property tax—things that all benefit our community," says Rachael Gilroy, Allen County Land Bank and Auditor.
The Macy's project could start this winter or spring, and the TB hospital could also start in the spring of 2025. The state also gave the Allen County Land Bank another half a million dollars to do some other projects. The Lickity Split building and the old county jail were also on their wishlist.
Another 1.5 million dollars will be used to tear down the former TB hospital.
Governor DeWine Announces More Than $55 Million
for Demolition and Brownfield Remediation Projects
November 4, 2024, Press Release from the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine: (COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced more than $55 million in continued 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.
Today’s announcement represents the seventh round of funding for both programs, and the final demolition awards for this biennium.
The new Ohio Brownfield Remediation grants announced today total $22.7 million to clean up and redevelop 27 hazardous brownfield sites in 19 counties, including $2.4 million in funding to redevelop a longtime manufacturing site in Fulton County into a mixed-use development with commercial and residential spaces.
Since the launch of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program in 2021, Development has awarded more than $510 million to support 489 projects in 85 counties.
The new Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization grants announced today total $33.2 million to demolish 1,091 vacant, dilapidated buildings in 65 counties. Projects include the razing of the long-vacant former Dillard’s department store at Midway Mall in Elyria and a series of demolitions along East Sixth, West Fifth, and River Street in Franklin that will play a role in revitalizing its historic downtown.
As part of the Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, $500,000 was set-aside for all of Ohio’s 88 counties and the program’s remaining funds were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Sixty-one of the awards announced today represent the total amount requested by each county up to its $500,000 set-aside and are pending final eligibility determination.
Since the launch of the Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization Program in 2021, more than $303 million in grants have been awarded to support more than 6,000 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.
