Jefferson County gets $45K for brownfield development
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STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County will share in $15.5 million in Ohio Department of Development grants that will help communities clean up contaminated properties and prepare them for redevelopment.
“We’re excited about the grant money,” Robert Naylor, executive director of the Jefferson County Port Authority, said Wednesday.
The port authority will receive $45,800 to conduct an environmental assessment, soil sampling and the installation of temporary groundwater monitoring wells at the site of a former service station at 301 S. Third St.
Part of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, the grants, which were announced late Tuesday afternoon, include $8.4 million for 22 cleanup and remediation projects and $7.1 million for 41 assessment projects.
“For fiscal year 2026, through the department of development, the port authority was awarded about $954,000,” Naylor explained. “When these grants were announced in May, the department asked if there were any other projects to use the set-asides on."
Naylor said those dollars were reserved for each county.
“There were some counties that didn’t use any of their set-aside dollars,” he added. “So, we quickly put together a proposal for an assessment of the former gas station,” he added. “We were just informed Tuesday that the grant money will be awarded and we’re waiting on the further details.”
Two other projects in the region were included on the list. The Harrison County Land Reutilization Corp. received $300,000 for environmental assessments at the former Scio Pottery, which operated between 1933 and 1985. Plans include using the space for commercial development, which is expected to create about 50 jobs.
And, the Belmont County Land Reutilization Corp. received $137,203 for development on Howard Street in Bridgeport. The project includes environmental assessments and a geophysical survey to identify potential environmental hazards at the vacant site of a former repair shop that operated between the 1930s and 1970s. Future plans include the potential for small-scale commercial developments such as eateries, a cafe, a coffee shop or similar destination-oriented businesses. This project is expected to create eight new jobs and retain eight jobs
“The brownfield remediation program has been transformative in Ohio, and it has been incredible to see the difference it has made all over the state,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Every dilapidated storefront or longtime neighborhood eyesore we help clean up is a new opportunity for our local partners to breathe new life into their communities.”
Since its launch in 2021, the program has provided nearly $800 million to support 904 projects in 87 counties.
“A vacant old warehouse or run-down gas station does more than just impact a neighborhood’s appearance -- they weigh down the potential of the people who live and work nearby,” said Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel. “By investing in a future for these sites, we’re investing in a future where any community can become Ohio’s next great success story.”
Funding awarded through the program 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.
“If you were to travel across Ohio, you’d be hard-pressed to find a community that hasn’t been made better by the program,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the department of development. “These projects are removing long-standing obstacles to growth, and creating opportunities for new housing, new businesses, new jobs and better lives for our families.”
This round of funding was made possible with support from the Ohio General Assembly in the most recent biennium budget bill, which allocated $200 million toward the program. The bill required $1 million to be reserved for applicants in each of the state’s 88 counties for the current fiscal year, with awards being made through a merit-based process
Projects that assess or remediate brownfield properties are eligible for funding. Entities that contributed to the contamination of properties are not eligible to apply.
The program is part of 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.