Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) today announced it has awarded over $1 million through its Site Readiness Program since it launched in 2016. The program consists of two grants – the Site Readiness Grant and the Special Purpose Grant. Through the program, local economic development organizations have used grant funds to complete due diligence studies, document site conditions, and procure engineering plans.

Both the OhioSE Site Readiness Grant and the OhioSE Special Purpose Grant are matching grant programs designed to improve the readiness for development of high-value industrial sites within the Southeast Ohio region. The focus of both grants is documentation of current site conditions and potential for future development. Since 2016, OhioSE has awarded 128 grants for a total of $1,033,936 committed funds.

In Washington County, the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority (SeOPA) used the grants for preliminary Geotechnical surveys at the Muskingum River Industrial Park, site development plans for the Decker site, a Phase 1 with Wetland Determination and endangered species review at American Business Parks, site grading plans at the Wetz Constitution site, and most recently, wetland and stream delineations with a utility assessment at the AMP site.

“We have received five grants totaling close to $60K in the last five years,” said Jesse Roush, Executive Director of the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority. “In every instance, we have strengthened our marketing capabilities for the sites where we leveraged the funding, and that has led to an increase in interest from developers. In two instances, at MRIP and AMP, the due diligence we conducted using the Site Readiness grant have been instrumental in SeOPA landing a project. Of the five grants we've received, we've leveraged additional funding to complement our due diligence efforts on four sites.

Athens County has also received over ten awards benefitting six properties through the program, which were used to fund building assessments and design plans for buildings in Glouster, a Phase 1 ESA, a Phase 1 archaeological study for a sewer expansion project in Canaanville, wetland delineation in Chauncey, and multiple studies for the Bill Theisen Industrial Park and Albany Industrial Park.

“The flexibility of the program is something we highly value,” said Mollie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Athens County Economic Development Council. “The wide range of activities the site readiness funds support has been helpful in getting certain projects off the ground.”

Studies supported include Phase 1 ESA, Wetland Delineation, Threatened and Endangered Species (TES) Review, Cultural resource studies, and Geotechnical surveys. Preliminary engineering plans supported included preliminary utility service plans and site layout and grading plans. The cost share for the Site Readiness Grant has a 2:1 ratio with OhioSE contributing $2 for every $1 provided by the applicant. OhioSE facilitates the timeline of this grant and contracts with the engineering firm completing the work. The next round of applications for the Site Readiness Grant opens on July 11, 2025 and will be communicated to local economic development offices in the OhioSE region via email.

The Special Purpose Grant can be applied for at any time throughout the year. The local economic development partner or site owner will choose their engineer and contract directly with them for the work. The cost share for the Special Purpose Grant has a 1:1 ratio with OhioSE contributing $1 for every $1 provided by the applicant.

“Since 2016, the Site Readiness Program has assisted our local partners in the process of mitigating risk to development in our communities that have directly resulted in project wins and new jobs created in our region,” said Matt Abbott, President & CEO of OhioSE. “We will continue to offer this program with a proven return on investment locally and hope to amplify our efforts through philanthropic means to broaden our reach into other development needs for our region.”

To learn more, visit ohiose.com, or contact Site Selection Project Assistant Stacey Saunders at stacey@ohiose.com.

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Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) is the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern, eastern, and southeastern Ohio, providing economic development work and resources in 25 rural counties. Geographically the largest of the seven regions across the state, OhioSE partners closely with regional development districts, local economic development offices, state agencies, and other entities to expand, retain, and attract businesses in the counties they serve. Learn more at OhioSE.com.