OhioSE has awarded $178,055 in grants to support site development in the region, according to a community announcement.
The Site Readiness Program, a matching grant initiative, aims to prepare high-value industrial sites for development by documenting current site conditions and assessing future potential. Local economic development organizations will use the funds to conduct due diligence studies, create site concept plans, and perform preliminary engineering.
National Road Business Park on East Pike was among those to receive an OhioSE grant in 2025 for wetlands delineation, preliminary engineering and a traffic study to prepare a site for Holder Construction, resulting in 60 jobs.
National Road Business Park on East Pike was among those to receive an OhioSE grant in 2025 for wetlands delineation, preliminary engineering and a traffic study to prepare a site for Holder Construction, resulting in 60 jobs.
15 sites in nine counties to benefit
The 2025 grants will support studies or plans for 15 sites in nine counties. Projects include Phase I Environmental Site Assessments in Athens and Ross counties, site concept layouts in Gallia, Monroe and Washington counties, and traffic studies for sites in Ross and Muskingum counties.
OhioSE said the program’s work is crucial in determining a site’s readiness for development and identifying areas for growth. The information gathered can also position sites for additional grant opportunities and help respond to requests from site selectors looking for new facility locations.
Program has awarded 137 grants since 2016
Since its inception in 2016, the Site Readiness Program has awarded 137 grants, totaling $1,174,253. Several sites supported by the program now have end users, including the Delano Industrial site (CSM Truck) in Ross County, Leesburg Industrial Park (Nelson Enterprises) in Highland County, Conesville Industrial Park (Aligned Data Center) in Coshocton County, Logan Hocking Commerce Park (AVT Beckett Elevators USA, Inc.) in Hocking County, National Road Business Park (Holder Construction) in Muskingum County, Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (Evans Food Group) in Scioto County and Southern Ohio Industrial (Engineered Profiles) in Lawrence County.
Due diligence studies supported by the program include Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species reviews, cultural resource studies and geotechnical borings. Site plans encompass preliminary engineering plans, utility service plans, site layouts and grading plans.
“The OhioSE Site Readiness Program helped us complete environmental documentation necessary to access nearly $1 million in grant funds through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ AMLER Program,” Bill Arnett, executive director of the Cambridge-Guernsey County CIC, said in the announcement. “The funds will prepare the mine-impacted site for new industrial development, new investment, and job creation.”
Program offers two types of grants
The Site Readiness Program offers two types of grants, with applications coordinated through each county’s local economic development organization. The Special Purpose Grant has a 1:1 cost-share ratio, with OhioSE contributing $1 for every $1 provided by the applicant. The grant can be applied for at any time throughout the year. The Site Readiness Grant has a 2:1 ratio, with OhioSE contributing $2 for every $1 of local match.
“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.”