Restoring Prosperity
The Greater Ohio Policy Center Blog
GOPC has published a white paper, “The Benefit of Brownfields: Analysis of the Brownfield Remediation Fund’s Round 1 Awards & Preliminary Programmatic Recommendations,” in October 2022. This white paper analyzes the $252 million awarded in the first round of the BRF and makes the case for another $500 million in state funding in the next state Operating Budget. The paper also recommends one adjustment to the current program to help communities, especially smaller and more rural communities, successfully compete for funds.
Last week, Smart Growth America (SGA) hosted a webinar as part of their ongoing series about equitable development. This webinar focused on brownfields and their redevelopment. GOPC was able to participate in this webinar and gain insight on a range is issues, including environmental justice and equity related to brownfield cleanup and reuse policy and practices.
Yesterday, the Ohio Department of Development published guidelines for the new Brownfield Remediation Fund, as well as the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. This followed the issuance of an Executive Order by Governor Mike DeWine to fast-track the process of creating temporary rules for the program so it can begin operation before the end of the year
July 1 marks the beginning of the State of Ohio's new fiscal year, with the enactment of the new biennial budget. A state budget always reflects what the priorities of the state are, and the most recent budget includes a number of issues Greater Ohio had been tracking throughout the legislative process.
The budget agreement, which includes an investment of $500 million dollars in brownfield revitalization, along with commercial and industrial building demolition, represents game-changing investment for all of Ohio's 88 counties and represents a major commitment on the part of the State of Ohio to remediate this scourges of economic progress.
