WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO) - Auglaize County was successful in getting more state funding to help clean up some properties for redevelopment. Before the holidays the State of Ohio announced $88 million in Brownfield Grants for 123 projects across the state. Auglaize County won money for three projects including taking down and cleaning up the site of the former Koenig building. The property was developed in the late 1800’s and has been home to a variety of industries, including a paint shop. The county got nearly two and half million dollars for doing the work on the site and cleaning any contamination that could be in the soil.
“We are excited that there is going to be a potential clean property, I mean it will be a clean property at the end of this, but a property for potential redevelopment,” says Erica Preston, Administrator, Auglaize County. “So, the county did have to, anything over a million dollars the county has to have a matching portion of 25%. So, we have earmarked some of our Auglaize Development Fund, or ARPA fund for that. One of the big pictures of the project, of using other grant money to leverage this grant money and we were able to secure everything we asked for.”
Which included nearly $175,000 to do work on the former Buckland School.
“And that is just for asbestos and mold remediation,” adds Preston. “So, if we can get asbestos and mold out of there then the redevelopment plan for that is the current owner is going to look at developing apartments. So, we constantly hear housing is an issue in the county. And maybe that will help alleviate some for having additional housing units.”
The City of St. Marys got $110,000 to clean up and remove contaminates from a site of a former gas station near Joint Township District Memorial Hospital so the land can be redeveloped.
