State extends deadline for counties to spend blight-demolition money

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County land-bank officials caught a $1.5 million break this week when Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that he would extend the deadline for counties to be reimbursed for money they spend to demolish blighted properties.

The attorney generals Moving Ohio Forward program made up to $75 million available in matching funds for counties that knocked down community eyesores and prepared formerly distressed properties for redevelopment.

Franklin County originally was awarded about $8.2 million for demolitions, with the money to be divided between the county and Columbus, which has its own demolition program.

Counties were given until the end of last year to spend the money, but many found the deadline hard to meet. So late last year, the attorney generals office extended the deadline until Saturday.

That still wasnt enough time for some land banks, including Franklin Countys, and the state relented again.

In a letter sent to land-bank leaders this week, Matt Lampke, DeWines mortgage foreclosure counsel, extended the deadline to Sept. 30. He said that any money left over could be redistributed to counties, but preference would be given to those that got their work done by the end of this month.

John Rosenberger, president of the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corp., which operates as the countys land bank, said the land bank struggled at first to find and acquire distressed properties to knock down. But the problem with meeting this months deadline was a lack of contractors.

You cant just grab a sledgehammer and a pickup truck and go to work, Rosenberger said of the need to find qualified contractors who could handle all aspects of the demolitions from utility disconnections and asbestos abatement to final site clearing.

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State extends deadline for counties to spend blight-demolition money