Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund

Ohio has one of the best state brownfield grant programs in the country.  There are two pots of money available at the state level:

  • Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF)- Grant that offers up to $3 million to reimburse clean up and some redevelopment costs.  Requires a 25% match.  Typically awards are made twice a year and applications

Recently, Ohio EPA released its newsletter directed toward those interested in brownfield redevelopment (SABR News).  The July 2010 newsletter included some important recent developments at the federal and state level.

Federal Brownfields Legislation

The Federal Brownfield Re-authorization Bill was introduced in May 2010.  If the bill passes it could include some important reforms to

A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch, authored by Spencer Hunt, paints a sensationalistic depiction of environmental contamination on a former manufacturing site.  The article suggests toxic contaminants were hidden from the State EPA.  While it may be interesting to write a story about contamination on the new casino site in Columbus, the portrayal misses some key aspects

Liability for pre-existing contamination acts as a strong deterrent to re-use of brownfield properties.  Prospective purchasers simply do not want to expose themselves to potential liability especially when they had nothing to do with the contamination.

At the federal level, there has been an attempt to address liability exposure in order to provide prospective purchasers some level

There has been much discussion regarding the use of Land Banks to assist in addressing the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis.  Here is an excerpt from the Cleveland Plain Dealer discussing the County’s recently launched non-profit corporate land bank:

Formally launched by the county in April, the new, nonprofit land bank is the first of

On May 18, 2009 the Clean Ohio Council finalized new policies that will govern future rounds of the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF).  A major change has been incorporated into the policies that will impact developers, consultants and contractors who work on Clean Ohio projects.  For the first time the Council has included conflict of

These are great times to investigating potential brownfield projects in Ohio.  The State has two pots of money available under its Clean Ohio brownfield program.  1)  the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF); and 2) the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund (COAF).  CORF is a competitive grant process where applications are pooled into rounds and the top projects in