Municipalities, townships and property owners in Delaware County will be able to apply starting Thursday, Oct. 1, for local grant money to tear down blighted or abandoned buildings.

The Delaware County Land Bank announced Sept. 23 that it is launching its own demolition grant program, separate from the state-run program it has helped administer through the Ohio Department of Development. The first application window closes Dec. 31.

The distinction matters for Orange Township, which holds a seat on the Land Bank board alongside representatives from the county commissioners' office, the treasurer's office and Delaware City. The new program puts grant decisions in local hands rather than routing them through a statewide competition.

"With local control and local dollars, we will also be able to respond more quickly to the needs of the community," Delaware County Commissioner Jeff Benton, who chairs the Land Bank board, said in the announcement. Benton called the program an advancement in the county's ability to shape local growth.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling, quarterly basis. The board will decide on each round within 30 days after the quarter ends, meaning applicants in the first window could have an answer by late January.

There is no cap on grant requests. Every award requires a minimum 25% local funding match.

Eligible applicants include municipalities, townships, other local jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, private property owners or developers, and other entities the Land Bank approves. The grants cover demolition of structures the Land Bank describes as blighted, vacant or abandoned.

The Land Bank also provides free assistance to applicants seeking state demolition and brownfield-remediation grants through the Ohio Department of Development. Since 2021, that state program has channeled nearly $2.9 million in such grants to local governments, nonprofits and private developers in Delaware County, according to the Delaware Gazette.

The Land Bank, legally known as the Delaware County Land Reutilization Corporation, was established in 2017 through the efforts of the late County Treasurer Jon Peterson. The new program's total budget has not been disclosed.

Interested applicants can contact Benton at [email protected] for application materials.