Franklin County Land Bank to allocate $500,000 to demolish and remove blighted properties in Central Ohio
(COLUMBUS) January 24, 2022—COCIC: The Franklin County Land Bank has been named the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program Lead Entity for Franklin County. In this role, COCIC will be responsible for collecting, qualifying and submitting projects throughout the county that meet the grant’s requirements for demolition, totaling $500,000.
The Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program will provide nearly $150 million in grants to raze dilapidated commercial and residential buildings and revitalize surrounding properties. The program is part of the Ohio BUILDS initiative to improve quality of life through infrastructure improvements in Ohio.
“On behalf of Franklin County, we want to commend and thank Governor DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Husted and the Ohio General Assembly for their commitment to improving local communities. Removing blight and restoring productive use to vacant and dilapidated properties is a critical first step in economic redevelopment and in preserving the health of our neighborhoods,” said Curtiss L. Williams, Sr., President and CEO of COCIC: The Franklin County Land Bank.
Eligibility
Commercial and residential buildings on sites that are not brownfields are eligible properties. Commercial properties include buildings that were used for retail, office, manufacturing, industrial, industrial warehousing, institutional, or other non-residential or mixed-use purposes. Non-vacant and blighted structures are not eligible, unless they are contiguous and/or connected to vacant and blighted structures that are necessary to demolish.
Submitting a Project for Demolition
Anyone interested in submitting a blighted, vacant or abandoned structure for consideration, contact Hope Paxson, Vice President of Programs & Housing at COCIC, at [email protected] by February 9, 2022.
Lead entities, like COCIC, are required to submit their requests to the Ohio Department of Development by February 28, 2022. Additional funds may be provided on a first come, first serve basis through the lead entity until June 30, 2022.
About COCIC: The Franklin County Land Bank
COCIC is a non-profit organization formed by the Franklin County Commissioners in 2012 to improve the quality of neighborhoods and communities within Franklin County. More information about COCIC can be found at www.cocic.org.
