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For Immediate Release
June 4, 2009 
  

PATT-MCDANIEL ANNOUNCES NEW
OHIO HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT  APPLICATION PERIOD
 

COLUMBUS – Lisa Patt-McDaniel, Interim Director of the Ohio Department of Development, today announced that the Department will begin accepting applications for the third round of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program on July 1, 2009. This round features new enhancements designed to increase efficiency for our regional partners during the application process. 

“The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program has already shown that it creates local jobs, spurs economic development by leveraging private sector investment, and revitalizes important symbols of Ohio’s history,” said Patt-McDaniel. “The program is an excellent economic stimulus tool for Ohio and we expect the next application period will increase the significant impact this program is having across the state.” 

The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program is part of the $1.57 billion Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan, which immediately creates new jobs while laying the foundation for future economic prosperity. In the Job Stimulus Plan $120 million was set aside for Historic Preservation Tax Credits. In October 2008, 48 applicants were approved for a total of $78.2 million in tax credits. The remaining $41.8 million in tax credits from the Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan will be available during the new application period. 

The Ohio Department of Development, in partnership with the Ohio Historical Society and Ohio Department of Taxation, have made significant improvements to the application process to better meet the needs of historic rehabilitation partners throughout the state.  Improvements include: 

  • Dividing the year-long application period into two six-month rounds to provide applicants with faster application determinations, helping applicants secure additional financing more quickly and allowing projects to begin construction sooner. The following dates will serve as rounds for the application periods for fiscal year 2010:

    • Round 3 (July 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009)
      • Application Submission Window: July 1 – September 30, 2009
      • Application Review Period: October 1 – November 30, 2009 
      • Approved Applicants Announced by: December 30, 2009

    • Round 4 (January 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010)
      • Application Submission Window: January 4  – March 31, 2010
      • Application Review Period: April 1– May 31, 2010
      • Approved Applicants Announced by: June 30, 2010

  • Expediting tax credit approvals by making the remaining stimulus funding for fiscal year 2010 (currently $17.5 million) available in Round 3 (July 1 through December 31, 2009) and the remaining stimulus funding for fiscal year 2011 (currently $24.2 million) in Round 4 (January 1 through June 30, 2010).

  • Updated scoring criteria that measures projects’ potential economic impact and regional distributive balance of the credits throughout the state in a more comprehensive and easily understandable fashion. The updated criterion adds emphasis to the potential economic impact by examining three major sets of criteria: Financing and Speed of Development, Quality of Place, and Quality of Property while measuring the regional balance throughout the state of previously approved applications.

  • New program policies and updated administrative rules will be published before the beginning of the application period to better clarify the detailed processes and procedures. These documents will provide applicants with clear, transparent, and predictable guidelines for the program. A public stakeholder review meeting will be scheduled to solicit any public input to the administrative code changes prior to the beginning of the application period. 

About the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program 
The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program provides a tax credit for the rehabilitation expenses to owners of historically significant buildings. The program was enacted on December 13, 2006 by the General Assembly (Sub. H.B 149) and amended on June 12, 2008 by HB 554, the $1.57 billion Ohio Bipartisan Job Stimulus Plan. The Ohio Department of Development through its Urban Development Division is responsible for administering the program in partnership with the Ohio Department of Taxation and the Ohio Historical Society. 

The tax credit subsidizes 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures for historic rehabilitation projects. Qualified rehabilitation expenditures represent hard construction costs generally consisting of improvements made to the building structure and interior. The work must meet the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties.  A building is eligible if it is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in a registered historic district, and is certified by Ohio's Preservation Officer as being of historic significance to the district, or is listed as a historic landmark by a certified local government. 

To date, two rounds of applicants have been approved for $203 million dollars in tax credits to 89 applicants in 23 different cities and are projected to leverage $1.1 billion in private redevelopment funding and federal tax credits. 

For more information about the Ohio Historic Tax Credit program including the 2008 Annual Report and applications, visit development.ohio.gov.

The Urban Development Division assists communities with place-based redevelopment which creates wealth from personal, business and community successes. The Urban Development Division works to identify the resources and financing necessary to enhance the economic viability of local communities. 

Working with our partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the non-profit sector, the Ohio Department of Development works to attract, create, grow, and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. Engaged every day in marketing, innovating, investing, and collaborating, the Ohio Department of Development works at the speed of business to accelerate and support the teamwork that is absolutely necessary for success by providing financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio’s future. 

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Media contacts:  Eileen Turner at 614.728.6674 or the Communications & Marketing Office at 614.466.2609