BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Belmont County will receive nearly one million dollars to revitalize three sites under the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, the governor’s office announced.
The former Rose Hill Elementary School in Bellaire, former Ohio University Eastern science building and former Wheeling Brake Lock site will be cleared of any contaminants and repurposed for public use under the program.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced $61 million in grants to help communities in 75 counties clean up contaminated properties and prepare them for new life.
The Department of Development is awarding this funding as part of the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program which has earmarked $45.8 million for 84 cleanup and remediation projects and $15.3 million for 76 assessment projects.
“Sites like these do no good when they’re left alone to contaminate the soil and impact the health of our neighborhoods,” said Governor DeWine. “Throughout the past five years, we’ve changed the trajectory of hundreds of properties that once held our communities back, turning long-neglected eyesores into places of possibility.”
Since its launch in 2021, the Brownfield Remediation Program has provided nearly $780 million to support 841 projects in 87 counties.
“Any time we’re able to take a forgotten property and give it new life, it opens the door to new opportunities for the people who call that community home,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “When we transform these sites, we’re investing in stronger local economies, stronger neighborhoods, and a stronger future for communities across Ohio.”
Triad Property Inspections was awarded $300,000 for the Restoration Hall Veterans Resource Hub project in Bellaire.
The funding will support Phase One and Phase Two environmental assessment work at the former Rose Hill Elementary School, a vacant building originally constructed in 1909. Officials say the site contains suspected asbestos materials, lead-based paint, mold, and possible petroleum contamination tied to aging building systems.
Once redevelopment is complete, the property is expected to become the Restoration Hall Veterans Transition and Support Campus, offering transitional housing, workforce training, childcare, wellness services, and other support programs for veterans and their families. The project is expected to create 85 jobs while revitalizing a long-vacant landmark.
The Belmont County Land Reutilization Corporation also received $294,986 for environmental assessment work at the former Wheeling Brake industrial property.
The 11.35-acre site has a history of industrial use and contains known or suspected contamination, including buried asbestos-containing materials and possible petroleum impacts connected to historic automotive storage and industrial operations.
Officials say the project will include soil borings, groundwater monitoring wells, soil gas probes, and environmental sampling under Ohio’s Voluntary Action Program. The assessments are intended to determine the extent of contamination and help prepare the property for future redevelopment.
In addition, the Belmont County Land Reutilization Corporation was awarded $178,244 for the “Revive and Thrive” cleanup and remediation project.
That funding will be used to remove asbestos and demolish the vacant former Ohio University Eastern Science and Engineering Building. The site will then be redeveloped with ADA-compliant parking and accessibility improvements supporting the adjoining ECO Center.
Officials say the ECO Center is expected to expand healthcare access, workforce training, educational programming, and community services for as many as 100,000 residents each year.
