Buckeye Reporter

State Representative Jamie Callender (R-Concord) has introduced House Bill 456, which aims to permit further modifications to pre-1994 Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs) in Ohio. Currently, these older CRAs can only be modified twice before they must comply with regulations governing post-1994 CRAs. This limitation affects 14 communities across the state by restricting their ability to attract investment and redevelop areas compared to communities operating under post-1994 CRA rules.

House Bill 456 proposes allowing a third and fourth modification to pre-1994 CRAs without causing them to lose their grandfathered status. The distinction between pre- and post-July 1994 CRAs centers on approval requirements from the Ohio Department of Development and the types of development permitted within the designated areas. Pre-1994 CRAs do not require such prior approvals and have more flexibility in development restrictions.

The bill was developed after discussions between Representative Callender’s office and officials from the City of Painesville. The city seeks to update its current CRA—which provides a 75% property tax reduction over eight years—to support new affordable housing aimed at first-time homebuyers in downtown Painesville.

Doug Lewis, Painesville City Manager, stated, “If approved, this bill will allow us to encourage development on properties that have been vacant for over 10 years near our downtown district. We are trying to encourage residential, commercial, and industrial development on these vacant properties, and without tax incentives that are competitive with other cities, it makes it very difficult for the City of Painesville to attract new developers.”

Other municipalities affected by this legislation include Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Cuyahoga Falls, Elyria, Lima, Niles, Reynoldsburg, Sandusky, Toledo, Warren, and Xenia.

Callender commented on the broader impact: “Ensuring our communities have the tools they need to not only attract new investment but reinvest in existing brownfield sites is critical to attracting both jobs and ensuring we have enough housing for residents. By allowing additional modifications to pre-1994 CRAs, some of Ohio’s largest municipalities will be able to reinvigorate communities and lay the foundation for future Ohioans to experience all our state offers.”

House Bill 456 is currently awaiting committee assignment.