Our latest #GOPCThread is up on Twitter today, as we take a look at the history of the Clean Ohio Revitalization fund and brownfield redevelopment in Ohio.

We’ve been discussing brownfields quite a bit lately, with the passage of HB168 and the introduction of HB675. Today, we take a look back over the past 20 years and see how we got to where we are today with brownfield revitalization efforts in Ohio.

Not on Twitter, the thread is available online, as well as below.

#Brownfields are found in every county throughout the state, in both rural and urban communities. These blighted, contaminated sites discourage investment and create barriers to job creation and economic development. #GOPCThread

#Ohio was once a national leader in #brownfields redevelopment by investing in the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF). #CORF was highly successful, and provided strong economic returns to the state.

Redeveloping #Brownfields often involves more time, increased costs, and an added layer of liability due to the environmental contamination. Last month, @GovMikeDeWine signed HB168 into law to provide liability protection to purchasers.

While HB168 addresses lightly-contaminated brownfields, stakeholders agree that a statewide investment in brownfields will further help Ohio’s communities tackle these blighted properties and put them to productive use.

Stakeholders also agree that refunding CORF is the most feasible option, given its success in providing the state with a strong economic return through the cleanup and remediation of more than 160 brownfields between 2002 and 2013.

The state’s previous investment in CORF leveraged a 4:1 return for the state, and contributed more than $1 billion annually to the state’s GDP. GOPC completed an economic impact study in 2013 to analyze CORF’s impact.

CORF is recognized as a community-responsive tool for brownfields redevelopment, and is designed to be flexible, sustainable, and complementary to existing environmental remediation programs at the state and federal levels.

For more details on the economic impacts of CORF, and to view case studies examining specific projects, visit GOPC’s website:

While CORF still exists in Ohio law, it has not been funded since its last bonding in 2008. The last bonding, approved in 2008, was overwhelmingly supporters by Ohioans from all 88 counties.

8 years earlier, while passing overwhelmingly statewide, CORF did face some opposition in half of Ohio’s 88 counties. The benefits and success of CORF won voters over after 8 years.

CORF’s bonding was originally backed by the state’s liquor agency, which was sold to JobsOhio when the organization was created. State and federal programs have since invested in brownfields, though not to the extent as CORF’s tenure.

State and federal programs that currently operate are often highly competitive, with restrictive end-uses and minimal grant options. This makes it difficult for weak-market and smaller communities to effectively compete for funding.

In May, @RepHillyer and @DJSwearg89OH introduced legislation to re-fund CORF through HB675. HB675 identifies the excess liquor profits returned to the state from JobsOhio as an annual funding source.

Per the agreement with JobsOhio, a certain dollar amount is returned to the state annually – which does not impact JobsOhio’s allotted funding. For the past few years, this has gone to the state’s GRF.

The Ohio Revised Code explicitly states that excess liquor profits returned to the state can be allocated to fund CORF. In 2018, $36.8M was returned to the state’s GRF. Projections have this dollar amount increasing to more than $44M though FY21.

Since CORF was originally backed by the state liquor profits, it is fitting this dedicated funding source be allocated to re-fund CORF. This will provide communities with additional resources at their disposal to address economic and community development.

As COVID-19 brings economic uncertainty, investing in our communities through CORF will have immediate and lasting economic impacts. Visit GOPC’s Brownfields page to learn more about brownfields, our research, and HB675…

And contact your state representatives and state senator to let them know that you support enactment of HB675