Columbus, Ohio – Ohio is investing another $15.5 million to help communities remove environmental hazards from abandoned and underused properties, creating new opportunities for housing, businesses, recreation, and economic growth across the state.
Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced the latest round of funding through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program. The grants will support projects in 35 counties aimed at transforming contaminated properties into productive community assets.
The funding package includes nearly $8.4 million for 22 cleanup and remediation projects and another $7.1 million for 41 environmental assessment projects. Officials said these investments will allow local governments and organizations to identify contamination, remove hazardous materials, and prepare sites for future redevelopment.
“The Brownfield Remediation Program has been transformative in Ohio, and it has been incredible to see the difference it has made all over the state,” said Governor DeWine. “Every dilapidated storefront or longtime neighborhood eyesore we help clean up is a new opportunity for our local partners to breathe new life into their communities.”
Since the program began in 2021, nearly $800 million has been awarded to support 904 projects across 87 of Ohio’s counties.
Communities prepare old properties for new opportunities
State leaders said brownfield sites often include former industrial, commercial, and institutional properties that remain vacant because of actual or suspected contamination from hazardous substances or petroleum.
By cleaning these sites, communities can attract private investment while improving neighborhoods and expanding economic opportunities.
Lt. Governor Tressel said removing abandoned properties helps unlock the potential of surrounding communities.
“A vacant old warehouse or run-down gas station does more than just impact a neighborhood’s appearance — they weigh down the potential of the people who live and work nearby,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “By investing in a future for these sites, we’re investing in a future where any community can become Ohio’s next great success story.”
Director Mihalik added that the program continues producing visible results throughout the state.
“If you were to travel across Ohio, you’d be hard-pressed to find a community that hasn’t been made better by the Brownfield Remediation Program,” said Director Mihalik. “These projects are removing long-standing obstacles to growth, and creating opportunities for new housing, new businesses, new jobs, and better lives for our families.”
Several projects announced during this funding round highlight the variety of future uses planned once cleanup is complete.
In Ashtabula, the City Port Authority received $743,184 to clean the former Tannery Hill property. The work includes soil excavation, engineering controls, and a risk management plan for a site that once housed several businesses, including a tannery, furniture company, winery, flea market, and bait shop. After remediation, the area will become a destination lodge featuring recreational trails and a fishing platform. Officials expect the project to create about five jobs.
The Clark County Land Reutilization Corporation received $458,900 to remove hazardous materials, clear debris, and demolish structures at the site of a former railroad spur that operated for decades. After cleanup, the property will be incorporated into the Buck Creek Trail, creating a new connection between Snyder Park and the Mad River Gorge and Nature Preserve.
In Clermont County, the Land Reutilization Corporation was awarded $400,000 to demolish a former bus garage in New Richmond and remove contaminated soil and groundwater. The property will later become public parking supporting the Liberty Landing Project, a $13.4 million riverfront development intended to strengthen tourism, outdoor recreation, and local economic activity.
Lake County received $44,000 to address contamination at a future mixed-use development in Uptown Mentor. Once remediation is complete, the planned 56,000-square-foot building will move forward as part of the larger redevelopment project and is expected to create approximately 90 jobs.
Meanwhile, the Logan County Land Reutilization Corporation was awarded $105,543 to remove asbestos from a downtown Bellefontaine building constructed in 1927. The structure, which previously served as both a bar and a church, is expected to become a children’s museum operated by a local nonprofit organization.
The latest funding became available through the state’s most recent biennium budget after the Ohio General Assembly allocated $200 million to continue the Brownfield Remediation Program. Under state law, $1 million was reserved for applicants in each of Ohio’s 88 counties during Fiscal Year 2026, with grants awarded through a competitive merit-based process.
Officials noted that only projects focused on assessing or cleaning contaminated brownfield properties qualify for funding. Entities responsible for creating the contamination are not eligible to receive grants.
The Brownfield Remediation Program remains one of the key parts of Governor DeWine’s Ohio BUILDS Initiative, which supports projects focused on improving quality of life through redevelopment, broadband expansion, water infrastructure improvements, and the demolition of blighted buildings across Ohio.
