(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today announced that additional funding is now available to help transform Ohio’s communities into vibrant hubs of opportunity through the demolition of blighted buildings.
A new round of the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program will provide $150 million in grants to raze dilapidated commercial and residential buildings and revitalize surrounding properties throughout the state.
The first three rounds of the program – announced in October 2022, December 2022, and January 2023 – awarded nearly $150 million in grants to support 3,699 projects in 87 counties.
“Blighted buildings have no place in our vision for Ohio’s future,” said Governor DeWine. “These dilapidated eyesores continue to stand in the way of progress, and by helping local communities take them down, we can open these areas up for new economic development."
"Although Ohio's economy is on the rise, numerous communities are unable to fully participate in this growth due to the presence of legacy properties that require demolition and preparation for new development," explained Lt. Governor Husted. "These grants provide the essential financing for redevelopment, paving the way for a new era of prosperity.”
The DeWine-Husted Administration created the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program in 2021 in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly. This new round of funding was made possible through continued support in the 2023 biennium budget bill, House Bill 33. The Ohio Department of Development administers the program.
“Companies from all over the country are choosing to set up shop in Ohio because we’re making transformative investments in the critical infrastructure that supports their growth,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “With every dilapidated eyesore we tear down, we lay the foundation for another community to become Ohio’s next great economic success story.”
As required by House Bill 33, each county will have access to a $500,000 set-aside, with the remaining funds awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program is part of Governor 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, the demolition of blighted buildings, and more.