State funds demolition of 12 sites in Huron County

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik on Monday announced more than $55 million in continued support for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects across the state. The funding includes $500,000 for demolition of 12 sites in Huron County, including two sites in Norwalk. The Department of Development is awarding the funding through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program and Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. Both grant programs were developed by the DeWine-Husted Administration in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly to create room for new economic opportunities in areas that currently cannot be developed due to contamination or the presence of vacant, dilapidated structures. Today's announcement represents the seventh round of funding for both programs, and the final demolition awards for this biennium. The new Ohio Brownfield Remediation grants announced today total $22.7 million to clean up and redevelop 27 hazardous brownfield sites in 19 counties, including $2.4 million in funding to redevelop a longtime manufacturing site in Fulton County into a mixed-use development with commercial and residential spaces. Since the launch of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program in 2021, Development has awarded more than $510 million to support 489 projects in 85 counties. The Brownfield Remediation Program provides grants for the cleanup of brownfield sites, to assist in the remediation of hazardous substances or petroleum at an industrial, commercial, or institutional property, according to the Ohio Department of Development. Remediation includes acquisition or a brownfield, demolition performed at a brownfield, and the installation or upgrade of the minimum amount of infrastructure necessary to make a brownfield site operational for economic development activity. The new Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization grants announced today total $33.2 million to demolish 1,091 vacant, dilapidated buildings in 65 counties. Projects include the razing of the long-vacant former Dillard's department store at Midway Mall in Elyria and a series of demolitions along East Sixth, West Fifth, and River Street in Franklin that will play a role in revitalizing its historic downtown. As part of the Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, $500,000 was set-aside for all of Ohio's 88 counties and the program's remaining funds were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Sixty-one of the awards announced today represent the total amount requested by each county up to its $500,000 set-aside and are pending final eligibility determination. Since the launch of the Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization Program in 2021, more than $303 million in grants have been awarded to support more than 6,000 demolition projects in every county in the state. Both programs are part of Governor Mike 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. Funding was received for demolition of the following sites in Huron County: 24 Main Street Greenwich Ohio 44837 1589 Fitchville River Road South New London Ohio 44851 1532 US Highway 250 South New London Ohio 44851 35 West Washburn Street New London Ohio 44851 37 East Washburn Street New London Ohio 44851 1 West Main Street North Fairfield Ohio 44855 50 Jefferson Street Norwalk Ohio 44857 92 1/2 East Main Street Norwalk Ohio 44857 34 West Broadway Street Plymouth Ohio 44865 15 Thome Street Wakeman Ohio 44889 78 Hyde Street Wakeman Ohio 44889 1177 State Route 60 North Wakeman Ohio 44889 Norwalk Planning and Zoning Inspector Mitch Loughton could not be reached for comment.