State Rep. Jamie Callender | The Ohio House of Representatives
State Rep. Jamie Callender | The Ohio House of Representatives
The Lake County Land Bank has secured two state grants for brownfield remediation projects, as announced by State Representatives Jamie Callender and Daniel P. Troy. These grants are part of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program and the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.
The Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, established in 2021 and reauthorized in 2023, supports communities in cleaning up underutilized sites with potential hazardous substances. Since its launch, it has allocated over $490 million to 462 programs across 84 counties.
In tandem with this program, the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program provides funds to demolish dilapidated buildings and revitalize surrounding areas. Over $270 million has been awarded since 2021 for more than 5,000 demolition projects statewide. The current grant round will distribute $53 million across 328 projects in Ohio.
John Rogers, Executive Director of the Lake County Land Reutilization Corporation, expressed gratitude for a "$300,000 award to assist with funding the remediation of the site off Blackbrook Road in Painesville Township" along with "$1,974,621 to help with our 13 demolition and revitalization project." He credited Governor DeWine's leadership and legislative support from Representatives Callender and Troy as well as Senator Jerry Cirnio.
Painesville Township Trustee Chuck Hillier emphasized the importance of cleaning up the Blackbrook Road site for economic development and community health: "Reutilization of brownfield sites allows Painesville Township to maintain its green spaces while offering opportunities to current and prospective employers."
Lake County received $300,000 for a cleanup project on Blackbrook Road involving a former oil industry site containing environmental hazards like storage ponds. An additional $1.97 million will aid in demolishing sites across Lake County. In total, Lake County has obtained $8.07 million through six rounds of funding.
Callender highlighted that "safe and timely remediation of brownfield sites offers opportunities for multi-generational change," enabling protection of waterways while promoting economic development.
Troy noted his advocacy for increased brownfield remediation funds: "I am pleased that this funding was made available," emphasizing its benefits to Northeast Ohio's quality of life through effective use of state resources.
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