$120 Million in State Brownfield Money Is on the Table. Six Days Remain for Mentor and Lake County to Apply.

Ohio's FY 2027 Brownfield Remediation Program application window opened Aug. 11 and closes at 5 p.m. Sept. 11, with approximately $120 million available statewide for cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated industrial properties. The funding is part of a $200 million allocation in House Bill 96 for the 2026–27 biennium.

State Rep. Adam Holmes, who represents Ohio House District 97 covering Muskingum and western Guernsey counties, highlighted the opening of the application period in a recent announcement on the Ohio House member news page. Holmes's district does not include Lake County — that's Ohio House District 23, represented by State Rep. Daniel P. Troy — but the statewide funding pool puts Mentor and eastern Lake County squarely in the competition, and the clock is running.

Who applies locally

Under Ohio law, a county with a population of 100,000 or more that has a land reutilization corporation must use that corporation as its lead entity for brownfield remediation. In Lake County, that's the Lake County Land Reutilization Corporation, led by Executive Director John M. Rogers. Municipalities including Mentor may also apply independently. Kenneth J. Filipiak serves as Mentor's city manager and chief executive officer. The Lake County Board of Commissioners — President Morris W. Beverage III, Morgan R. McIntosh and John T. Plecnik — rounds out the local decision-makers who control whether applications get filed.

Eligible applicants also include townships, port authorities, park and conservancy districts, and for-profit organizations. Entities that caused or contributed to a site's contamination cannot apply or serve as an eligible partner.

Sites already in play

The Land Reutilization Corporation has a track record with the program, having received multiple brownfield awards for projects including Blackbrook, the former Eastlake Power Plant, 8 North State Street, the Sears Mentor Redevelopment, Uptown Mentor, Willoughby Union High School and Lakeside Fuel.

Great Lakes Mall Sears site. Lake County received $2.5 million for the former Sears Department Store and auto center at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor — funding that covered asbestos abatement, removal of in-ground hydraulic lifts, petroleum soil cleanup and related work. The site has sat vacant since 2019. Demolition of the main Sears building is underway, with completion expected in late 2026 and a mixed-use commercial and residential redevelopment planned for the footprint. The former Sears Auto Center has already been demolished for a new Mentor Fire Station 3, expected in service by year's end.

Uptown Mentor. The Land Reutilization Corporation received $4,303,292 for the former Mentor Village Uptown area at 8675 and 8677 Mentor Ave. The four-acre, multi-parcel property — once home to Mentor Hardware, a fitness studio and temporary construction offices — is slated for demolition of three structures, methane leak isolation, soil excavation and eventual construction of a 55,000-square-foot mixed-use building.

Lakeside Fuel, Perry Township. Lake County received $524,788 for asbestos abatement, demolition of the former gas station and convenience store, and decommissioning of underground storage tanks and piping.

Multi-site demolition. A separate $1.97 million award funded demolition at 13 sites across the county, including locations in Mentor, Painesville, Painesville Township, Concord, Fairport Harbor, Madison Village and Willowick.

What could qualify next

A property qualifies as a brownfield if it is abandoned, idled or under-used and its redevelopment is complicated by known or potential releases of hazardous substances or petroleum. Mentor's Old Village Commercial Corridor includes parcels proposed for an infill redevelopment overlay tied to documented environmental contamination and remediation. Previously submitted but unfunded projects may be resubmitted in the current round.

What the application demands

Applicants must demonstrate access to the project property, a fully assessed site, a Remedial Action Plan covering all work needed to return the site to productive use, a clearly identified cleanup standard and a signed Clean Hands Affidavit. Applications are scored on merit — economic impact, geographic distribution, readiness and local support — after meeting threshold requirements.

No answers yet

As of Sept. 5, Rogers, Filipiak, Troy and the Lake County commissioners had not responded to questions about whether the Land Reutilization Corporation or the city of Mentor are preparing applications for the Sept. 11 deadline, which contaminated sites are being prioritized, or how far along any application work has progressed.

The window closes in six days. Approximately $120 million is available. Whether Mentor and eastern Lake County get a share depends on decisions being made — or not made — right now.