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Finance Authority outlines Middletown plans; county recorder highlights records modernization and public notification sign‑ups
Summary
Joshua Smith of the Butler County Finance Authority updated commissioners on Middletown redevelopment and the prospective city purchase of the former Cincinnati State building; Recorder Danny Crank said Butler County has digitized records back to 1797 and launched a public notification system with over 8,000 sign‑ups.
Two agency presentations at the March 3 Butler County commission meeting described local redevelopment work and ongoing modernization of county records.
Joshua Smith, introduced as director of the Butler County Finance Authority, updated the Board on redevelopment efforts in Middletown, including meetings with a prospective developer for the former Manchester (CMC) site, financial institutions, the Middletown Port Authority and the city. Smith said the biggest near‑term challenge is clarifying demolition and Phase 2 environmental schedules to address asbestos and potential soil contamination. He also said the city is moving to finalize purchase of the former Cincinnati State building (an 80,000‑square‑foot structure) to create downtown space for employers and potential tenants.
Recorder Danny Crank described the Recorder's Office's modernization and public protections. "In Butler County, those records go back to 1797," Crank said, and reported that Butler County will make records available online dating back to 1797 — exceeding the 1980 baseline required under the Ohio Recorders Modernization Act (Senate Bill 94). Crank also described a free public notification system that alerts residents when a document is recorded against a name or property; he said the office has had "over 8,000 people sign up for this program." Crank credited CARES Act and ARPA funds for enabling scanning and preservation of historical books.
Why it matters: the finance authority report signals ongoing efforts to attract redevelopment and commercial tenants to Middletown and to address environmental and remediation hurdles that affect project timelines. The recorder's modernization work increases public access to land records and adds a consumer protection tool through the notification program.
Next steps: the finance authority and city of Middletown will continue meetings with developers and potential tenants; the Recorder's Office will continue coordinating with state programs to document any records affected by the courthouse incident and to expand online access.
