COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced nearly $60 million in state support to help clean up and redevelop 51 hazardous brownfield sites in 27 counties.

The Department of Development is awarding the funding as part of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program. Today’s announcement includes approximately $57.7 million for 43 cleanup/remediation projects and $1.7 million for eight assessment projects.?

“Over the years, we’ve helped transform hundreds of unsafe, blighted, and abandoned sites into new centers of opportunity across Ohio,” said Governor DeWine. “Through this program, we’re building stronger, safer neighborhoods and turning yesterday’s liabilities into tomorrow’s assets.”

Since its launch in 2021, the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program has awarded $716.9 million to 681 projects in 86 counties. Funding is used to assess and clean up industrial, commercial, and institutional brownfield sites that are abandoned, idled, or underutilized due to a known or potential release of hazardous substances or petroleum. Following site remediation, properties can be redeveloped to revitalize neighborhoods and attract new economic development.??

“These projects prove that economic growth doesn’t always require starting from scratch,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “By bringing these brownfield sites back to life, we’re taking underused land and turning it into housing, commercial hubs, and job creators capable of changing lives.”

“When we clear away what’s been holding our communities back, we make room for what’s possible,” said Director Mihalik. “I’ve seen families move into apartments where old factories once stood. I’ve seen vacant buildings transformed into thriving homes for small businesses. And I’ve walked through neighborhoods filled with hope because someone believed in what they could be. That’s the power of this program — it turns potential into progress.”

The Ohio General Assembly is funding the program through the current operating budget. Today's grants represent the 10th round of funding.

DETAILS: Full List of New Brownfield Remediation Projects 

Ohio's 88 counties were each?eligible for at least $1 million in funding, with the remaining funds awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.??? 

New projects receiving awards include:?? 

• Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation 
  Cuyahoga Riverfront Restoration 
  $2,215,335 Cleanup/Remediation 
  This project involves the cleanup and partial demolition of a former flour mill and grain storage complex along the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. The site includes multiple structures dating back to the 1880s and is now owned by Cleveland Metroparks. Activities will include asbestos abatement, soil remediation, sub-slab depressurization, and demolition of select buildings. The restored area will be incorporated into the Cleveland Metroparks system, creating new greenspace and public riverfront access in an industrial area, supporting long-term community and environmental revitalization. 

• Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation (Franklin County)
  Eastland Mall Redevelopment
  $2,022,409 Cleanup/Remediation  
  This project involves asbestos abatement and full demolition of eight dilapidated structures on the former Eastland Mall property in Columbus. The site will be cleared and cleaned up to meet environmental and health standards. Once remediation is complete, the parcels will be marketed for multi-family residential redevelopment. 

• Jefferson County Port Authority 
  JSW Steel – Coke Oven Gas Line Remediation
  $2,126,508 Cleanup/Remediation
  This project involves the removal of approximately 6,200 linear feet of abandoned coke oven gas line piping and associated hazardous residues at the JSW Steel facility in Mingo Junction. Activities include pipe removal, high-pressure vacuum cleaning, soil sampling, and soil excavation near former drip leg and tank locations. These efforts will support future redevelopment tied to ongoing steel production and industrial expansion. 

• Lucas County Land Reutilization Corporation 
  Craft House Remediation Project
  $1,502,200 Cleanup/Remediation 
  This project will remediate environmental contamination at the former site of the Craft House International Company, a historic manufacturer of paint-by-number kits. Subsurface remediation will address lingering soil and groundwater contamination. Once complete, the cleared site will support new industrial development or potentially serve as a solar array installation.  

• Muskingum County Land Reutilization Corporation 
  Muskingum County Jail 
  $2,500,000 Cleanup/Remediation 
  This project supports the redevelopment of a former industrial site into a new 350-bed, $79 million county jail. Due to lead contamination, the project includes engineering controls such as site-wide capping, dynamic soil compaction, and clean fill importation. Additional actions include decontamination, site surveys, and plan development to maintain environmental safety throughout the redevelopment. 

• Warren County Port Authority 
  Former Towne Mall Abatement & Demolition
  $2,500,000 Cleanup/Remediation
  This project will abate asbestos-containing materials and demolish multiple unsafe, deteriorating structures at the former Towne Mall site in Middletown. The abatement and demolition will prepare the 32-acre site for commercial and light industrial redevelopment, addressing known environmental hazards and enabling future development opportunities expected to create 500 new jobs.  

The Brownfield Remediation 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, and the demolition of blighted buildings.???