WILMINGTON — The Clinton County Land Bank will receive a $500,000 grant as part of the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, which funds the demolition of dilapidated residential and commercial buildings.

Clinton County is one of 87 counties in Ohio that will receive a grant as part of the first phase of the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.

Clinton County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Executive Director Taylor Stuckert said, “We are excited by the announcement of this grant and grateful for the additional resources from the state to build upon the great work the Land Bank has been able to accomplish in Clinton County. The land bank has already demonstrated its effective use of such funds through the previous Neighborhood Initiative Program, which saw nearly a million dollars awarded for blight removal in the county, and which is seeing mostly new construction on the lots where demolition took place.”

Stuckert added, “In anticipation of this announcement, we have already received bids, and awarded a winning bid, on the demo of 10 blighted structures in six jurisdictions in the county. In addition to these projects that are already started, we are anticipating working on several additional projects including blight removal and site restoration work.”

The CCRPC executive director continued, “This work has been and continues to be a truly collaborative team effort across the county. We could not do this work without the support of the Land Bank Board, Assistant Prosecutor Justin Dickman, the county commissioners, the City of Wilmington and its code enforcement team, Clinton County Building & Zoning Department, the Sheriff’s Department, and many others who support this work directly or indirectly.”

To learn more about their work, please visit clintoncountylandbank.com .

In total, approximately $150 million in grants will be awarded for demolition and revitalization projects across the state in coming months, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program was created with the support of the Ohio General Assembly, which funded the program as part of the state biennium budget bill, House Bill 110. The program, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Development, is part of the DeWine-Husted Administration’s efforts to invest in Ohio’s future, stated the release.