Developers, preservation groups push to keep or boost brownfield, opportunity zone and historic‑tax‑credit funding in budget

Business and preservation groups told the Senate committee that state economic development programs in the House budget — including the Brownfield Remediation Program, Opportunity Zone funding, the Transformational Mixed‑Use Development (TMUD) program and the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit — are important tools to reactivate underused properties and spur downtown revitalization.

Why it matters: Witnesses argued state funds act as leverage that unlocks private and federal capital, spurring housing, job creation and redevelopment in legacy cities and rural downtowns.

Key testimony and requests: - Matt Miller of the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAOP) of Ohio asked the Senate to increase Opportunity Zone funding to $75 million (the House had $25 million) and to boost the TMUD program to $150 million from the House level. He said the Opportunity Zone program pairs with federal incentives and that developers must be ready to spend quickly when federal timelines apply. - Duane Van Dyke of Heritage Ohio urged restoring the governor’s proposed $120 million annual cap for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (the House set $90 million) and proposed program tweaks: a $10 million per‑project cap, a 30% bonus for small projects, rolling applications and automatic resubmission for projects that meet minimum scores. - Sean Carvin of the Ohio Land Bank Association asked the Senate to keep $250 million for brownfield remediation over the biennium and proposed programmatic changes to improve equity: a modest first‑year set‑aside for all 88 counties (about $1.4M each with no match) and a second‑year distribution based on population with a 25% local match. He said first‑come, first‑served awards previously disadvantaged smaller or less‑resourced counties.

Supporters argued these programs have generated measurable returns. Heritage Ohio cited that since 2007, the historic tax credit has helped adaptively reuse 442 historic buildings with total private investment exceeding $6 billion and an estimated 8:1 return on state credit dollars.

Opponents and cautions: Several witnesses cautioned against overreliance on any single tool and urged fiscal prudence given tighter state revenues. No formal amendments were adopted in the hearing; witnesses urged the Senate to retain or expand House funding levels to keep projects moving.

Bottom line: Economic‑development advocates urged the Senate to maintain or increase House funding and to adopt technical changes that prioritize equity and readiness so state dollars can leverage private and federal resources to complete redevelopment projects.