Governor DeWine Awards $11.9 Million to Support Demolition Projects in 73 Counties

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced $11.9 million in grants to help 73 counties prepare sites for redevelopment by demolishing existing unsafe, blighted buildings. 

That includes $230,000 to Hardin County.

Projects that were approved are 105 East Lima Street in Forest, 328 and 334 Kohler Street in Kenton, 9614 Township Raod 80 Kenton, 205 South Wheeler and 227 South Main Streets in Mt. Victory.

In our region, Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, and Logan Counties were each awarded $230,000.

The funding comes from the latest round of the Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. Ohio’s operating budget has allotted $21.5 million each fiscal year to help communities demolish dilapidated residential and commercial structures and prepare those properties for future economic development.  “Every community deserves places that inspire pride and create opportunity,” said Governor DeWine. “By helping remove long-vacant, unsafe buildings, we’re giving local leaders the chance to reimagine these properties in ways that strengthen neighborhoods, attract investment, and improve quality of life for the people who call Ohio home.”

Approximately $230,000 in grants was reserved for each of Ohio’s 88 counties. To date, the program has invested more than $325 million to support nearly 6,700 demolition projects across every county in the state. 

“In Ohio, every building has a story. When those stories come to an end, those properties still have one final purpose: making way for something better,” said Director Mihalik. “By helping our communities remove these long-neglected structures, we’re creating opportunities for new investment, new housing, new businesses, and a stronger future for the people who call these neighborhoods home.”

Examples of newly funded projects include: 

• Hocking County: A vacant, deteriorated former nursing home in Laurelville will be demolished, creating new possibilities for the site. Local leaders are considering a variety of future uses, including a community greenspace or pocket park with overflow parking, a flexible event space, a native pollinator meadow, and other economic development opportunities.  
• Muskingum County: The former Zanesville water works site, built in 1925 and in use until the new city water treatment system came online in 2009, will be demolished to make way for the construction of additional water treatment and maintenance facilities on the property.   
• Ottawa County: A former Port Clinton school building that has sat vacant for nearly 50 years will be demolished, creating temporary green space while Erie Township evaluates long-term redevelopment options. Among the possibilities is a helipad for medical helicopters, which would improve emergency response in an area without nearby medical services. 

The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program is part of Governor 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, the demolition of blighted buildings, and more. 

To view the full list of July 2026 Demolition and Site Revitalization Awards, please click here.