More than $4.4 million in state funds announced for brownfield remediation projects
State Rep. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, recently announced $4,413,661 in grant funding for revitalization projects in Ohio House District 23.
According to a news release, as the ranking member of the Ohio House Finance Subcommittee on Agriculture, Development, and Natural Resources, Troy strongly advocated for the addition of $500 million in brownfield remediation and demolition funds to the current state operating budget, which had no appropriation for this purpose when it was introduced.
“Lake County and Northeast Ohio have benefited greatly and improved the quality of life for its citizens through the efficient and effective utilization of state funding for not only brownfield cleanup but also the demolition of aging and dangerous structures,” he said.
“As a county commissioner, I led the efforts to secure several brownfield clean-up grants from the Clean Ohio Program,” Troy added. “And, as the former vice-chair of the Lake County Land Reutilization Corp. (known as the Lake County Land Bank), I was aware of the need for sufficient funding to demolish deteriorating and unsafe structures that contributed to neighborhood blight in our communities.”
Two projects in the district are receiving aid from the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Remediation Program, the release stated:
• The Lake County Land Bank, under the leadership of Executive Director John Rogers, will receive $4,303,292 for a site in the Old Mentor Village Uptown area, at 8675 and 8677 Mentor Ave.
The project includes demolishing three vacant, deteriorating structures and addressing environmental concerns through underground contamination remediation, officials noted.
Additionally, infrastructure improvements will be made to prepare the site for future economic growth, Troy said, adding, “Once the site is cleaned and ready, a 55,000-square-foot mixed-use building will be constructed, revitalizing the area, and creating 90 new jobs.”
• The Land Bank will also receive $110,369 for an assessment project located at 1230 Lost Nation Road in Willoughby.
Officials said the project focuses on assessing a former Sunoco station property, paving the way for potential redevelopment.
The initiative will not only help revitalize the surrounding commercial and residential areas in Willoughby but also help identify any remaining contamination entering the nearby Chagrin River.
“The Land Bank is excited to have won this award from the Department of Development,” Rogers said. “We have been fortunate, and there are a lot of projects going on and a lot of investment coming into Lake County — it’s a good thing.”
Troy added, “It’s time to stop ignoring Ohio’s older sites and subjecting them to further deterioration….this emphasis on spending all of our resources on new developments in the middle of nowhere uses up a lot of green space and requires new utility and transportation infrastructure to serve them.
“It makes more sense to reinvest in these older sites rather than make these new investments.”
Nearly $50 million in grant funding for brownfield remediation and building demolition (Round 5) across the state has been awarded, officials added.
Since the launch of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, the Department of Development has awarded nearly $470 million to support 426 brownfield remediation/assessment projects in 84 counties.