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Former Ohio appellate court judge Ray Headen is a trusted advisor, counsellor, and advocate to public and private clients and communities throughout Ohio. He solves client issues and problems with the meticulousness of an appellate judge and bond counsel.

Recently enacted H.B. 110, the State of Ohio’s Budget Bill, has created a new grant program (O.R.C. 122.6511) to cover up to 75% of a project’s total cost to help remediate brownfields. The program, called the Brownfield Remediation Program, resides within newly renamed Ohio Department of Development (ODOD). H.B. 110 provides that the Director of Ohio Department of Development will determine project eligibility, project sponsor eligibility and administration for the new program pursuant to administrative rule. The program must
Continue Reading H.B. 110 (Budget) Bill Highlights: New Grant Program to Help to Remediate Brownfields

H.B. 110 has made certain changes to Ohio’s Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) law pursuant to newly enacted R.C. 715.72(A)(10), (11); and (J)(2). The new provisions relate both to the creation of a new JEDD or amending an existing JEDD Agreement. It requires new notices, new JEDD Agreement terms, and exclusions of land from JEDDs if any part of the JEDD is located either within one-half of one mile of a municipal corporation that is not a party to
Continue Reading H.B. 110 (Budget Bill) Highlights: New Changes Affect Ability to Add and Exclude Land to and from JEDDs

Newly enacted R.C. 122.17(A)(11) and (D)(2)(c) creates a new “megaproject” designation in the state’s Job Creation Tax Credit program. The new provisions allow a tax credit of up to 30 years for very large projects, defined as at least $1B in capital investment or $75million/year in new payroll and average wages at least 300% of the federal minimum wage. The new provisions also allow JCTC recipients to include work-from-home employees in their job creation calculations (new R.C. 122.17(T). In addition,
Continue Reading H.B. 110 (Budget Bill) Highlights: Changes in Law Pertaining to “Mega Projects.”

  • H.B. 110 enacts new R.C. 122.17(C)(2) to establish a new rank-ordering of Job Retention Tax Credit application priorities (new R.C. 122.171(C)(2)).
  • H.B. 110 makes a change to the State of Ohio’s Opportunity Zone tax credits (R.C. 122.84) to  increase to $2 million limits on credits awarded to individual taxpayers each fiscal biennium;
  • H.B. 110 helps further define production contractors from those which may claim the state’s film and theater tax credit (R.C. 122.85);
  • H.B. 110 authorizes an income tax deduction


Continue Reading H.B. 110 (Budget Bill) Highlights: Changes in Law Relating to Ohio Tax Credits and Income Tax Deductions for Economic Development Purposes

H.B. 110 makes changes to the eligibility criteria and investment requirements to ODOD’s Rural Business Growth Program (R.C. 122.151) and requires new types of applications to be accepted by ODOD within 30 days of the budget bill’s effective date.
Continue Reading H.B. 110 (Budget Bill) Highlights: Changes to Ohio Department of Development’s Rural Business Growth Program (R.C. 122.151)

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority’s new National Road Business Park recently received the prestigious “Best Site Development or Building Project award” from Ohio Southeast Economic Development. The Port Authority hopes that the park, which has up to ten sites outfitted with water, sewer and electric services, will attract businesses to the area. The Port Authority noted that companies have been eyeing the site, which is ready to house commercial occupants.

Read more at the Zanesville Times Recorder.
Continue Reading Port Authority’s National Road Business Park Honored as Best Site Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it is awarding a $35 million grant to the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and the City of Cleveland to rebuild an aging public housing complex in the Cleveland’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. The complex currently consists of 487 units, which will be replaced by 800 mixed-income rental homes.

This Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant is part of a larger push by community actors to revitalize the area. CMHA was approved for a
Continue Reading Cleveland’s East Side awarded $35 Million HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant

Rather than using the State of Ohio’s Chapter 166 Loan Program, the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) recently found that the newly refunded State of Ohio Rural Industrial Park Loan (RIPL) Program was a better fit to finance the construction of a 30,000 sf speculative building in Lawrence County’s South Point Industrial Park and a 19,135 sq. ft. facility in Ironton that will attract new businesses and accommodate existing business expansion in Lawrence County.

By way of background, the State’s newly refunded Rural Industrial Park Loan Program (RIPL) promotes economic development by providing low-interest direct loans to assist counties, municipalities, townships, non-profit organizations, port authorities, community improvement corporations, and private developers in financing the development and improvement of industrial parks and related off-site public infrastructure improvements.Continue Reading Ohio Rural Development Loan Program Successfully Finances Two New Spec Industrial Buildings in Lawrence County

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (currently led by former Ohio 11th District Congresswoman Marcia Fudge) has selected Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) as one the lead public housing authorities (PHAs) to participate in a six-year demonstration project to aid low-income households in relocating to more prosperous communities. The demonstration will receive $45.7 million in total funding.

Through this demonstration, participating PHAs will provide over 10,000 families with children better access to low-poverty neighborhoods with high-performing schools
Continue Reading Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority wins $5-million grant for mobility demonstration program bound to change lives

This Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Policy Summit is a regional conference that explores solutions at the practitioner and policy levels to challenges that low- and moderate-income communities face. The biennial multi-day event offers its audience of researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers the latest research and best practices through presentations and real-world conversations.

For more information and registration information, click here.
Continue Reading Blog Highlight – Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland – Policy Summit 2021 Pathways to Economic Resilience in our Communities – June 23-25, 2021 virtual conference