Buckeye Hills Regional Council marks the week of May 6-10, 2024, as the celebration of Economic Development Week. During this week, communities across North America recognize the contributions made by professional economic developers to create more economically vibrant and livable communities.
Established in 2016 by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest international professional trade association for economic developers, Economic Development Week aims to increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere.
“As the local and regional economies evolve, the economic development profession must remain agile and responsive to change. The expertise of dedicated economic development professionals and organizations is vital in cultivating sustainable growth and prosperity,” said IEDC President & CEO Nathan Ohle. “This year’s Economic Development Week will showcase innovative community leadership driving collaboration and creating opportunities in their communities. I hope our communities and economic developers around the world will join us in celebrating the accomplishments of a profession full of passionate changemakers and community builders.”
“At Buckeye Hills Regional Council, we work with our communities on approaching economic development through an asset-based lens,” said Sam Miller, Development Director. “Our eight counties have a wealth of assets, including cultural and historical landmarks, beautiful outdoor landscapes, and a strong sense of entrepreneurship. We’ve chosen to highlight only a few examples of the many strengths we’ve worked to cultivate with our partners.”
Arts & Economic Prosperity in Southeast Ohio
Buckeye Hills Regional Council worked with 45 arts and culture organizations to gather data and audience surveys and economic data for the sixth edition of the Arts & Economic Prosperity Study conducted by Americans for the Arts. This study showed that Southeast Ohio’s investments in its cultural sector are providing a substantial annual return for its communities and contributing to the rich cultural fabric of the state’s Appalachian region.
Southeast Ohio’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $24,677,808 in economic activity in 2022, according to the newly released Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), an economic and social impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts and Buckeye Hills Regional Council, with support from the Ohio Arts Council and U.S. Economic Development Administration. That economic activity–$12,209,889 in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and $12,467,919 in event-related spending by their audiences supported 452 jobs and generated $3,417,338 in local, state, and federal government revenue. This spending by arts and culture audiences generates valuable commerce for local merchants.
Learn more at buckeyehills.org/arts.
Revitalizing Brownfield Sites in Noble County
Buckeye Hills Regional Council worked closely with the Noble County Board of Commissioners to secure and administer a total of $1,043,500 in Brownfield and Demolition and Site Revitalization funding from the Ohio Department of Development. This funding supported the removal of unusable underground storage tanks in Caldwell and Summerfield as well as demolishing and revitalizing blighted properties in Belle Valley, Caldwell, and Summerfield.
The Brownfield Remediation program is designed to provide grants for the remediation of brownfield sites across Ohio to clean up the sites and prepare them for future economic development. Properties applying for the program must meet the definition of a brownfield which is defined as an abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial, commercial, or institutional property where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by known or potential releases of hazardous substances or petroleum.
The Building Demolition and Site Revitalization program is designed to provide grants for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and the revitalization of surrounding properties that meet the definition of blight, vacancy, or abandonment.
With the support of these programs, communities are able to make formerly blighted and contaminated sites ready for new development and job opportunities.
Buckeye Hills Forward
As an economic development district, Buckeye Hills Regional Council is required to complete a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS). Simply put, a CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development and is the result of a regionally-owned planning process designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or region. Along with annual updates, the CEDS is required to be rewritten every five years to remain timely with the changing economic conditions of a region.
This year, BHRC has been working to prepare, research, and write Buckeye Hills Forward: A Regional Economic Plan. The main word guiding this re-envisioning is collaboration. Every step of the preparation process has included external feedback and input, including an eight-part SWOT analysis workshop series and a complete overhaul of membership to the CEDS advisory group. The goal is for the final product to be a usable document for our communities, by our communities. Our aim is to the story of our region to guide its future utilizing digestible data and appealing visuals. The final product will be completed in April 2025.
ARC Area Development Pre-Application
Buckeye Hills Regional Council has embarked on a comprehensive redesign of the ARC Pre-Application process, with the goal of optimizing efficiency and promoting accessibility. BHRC has introduced a user-friendly online platform, designed to streamline the application process and enable applications to navigate submissions with ease. The revitalization of the ARC Pre-Application process is intended to empower communities, fostering their ability to spearhead sustainable development initiatives.
Completing the pre-application is the first step for local officials working with Buckeye Hills to pursue project funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission and other state and federal partners. Buckeye Hills Regional Council is committed to assisting stakeholders across Southeast Ohio with identifying and securing resources that strengthen the region’s communities.
The ARC Pre-Application is open at buckeyehills.org/arc through May 31, 2024, for projects that support local business, workforce development, community infrastructure, and regional culture and tourism.
In 2023, ARC Area Development and the Governor’s Office of Appalachia provided $5.8 million in support of 16 projects in the Buckeye Hills region representing total project investments of more than $25.6 million. Recent projects have included waterline extensions to serve residents in northern Perry County, and along State Route 60 in Morgan County, equipment for the Noble County Green Acres agribusiness education program, and the construction of a newly expanded Family Health Center in Monroe County.
Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative: Buckeye Hills Recreation Corridor
The Appalachian Regional Comission’s Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative workshop in Decatur, Alabama, served as a pivotal moment for members of the Buckeye Hills staff, along with partners from the Wayne National Forest and the Outdoor Recreation Council of Appalachia (ORCA). Their participation was driven by the vision of establishing The Buckeye Hills Recreation Corridor (Ohio’s Appalachian Foothills Corridor). This initiative aims to leverage the region’s abundant public lands to attract visitors to the downtown areas of the nearby communities. During the workshop, the BHRC team had the opportunity to connect with Bobby Chappell, lead architect and advisor for Mountain IDEAL. Bobby’s expertise and insights helped the team envision a comprehensive revamp of their existing asset map into a user-friendly resource accessible to both visitors and residents alike. The re-envisioned map will not only highlight key points of interest within the Buckeye Hills Recreation Corridor but also offer intuitive navigation and information to enhance visitor experience from public lands to downtowns. This undertaking is a step forward in promoting tourism, fostering community engagement, and showcasing the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Ohio’s Appalachian region.
Buckeye Hills Regional Council is a council of governments dedicated to improving the lives of residents in southeast Ohio. By working collaboratively with elected officials across Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry, and Washington counties, Buckeye Hills connects local, state, and federal resources to communities through its Aging & Health, Home Care, Community Development, and Planning divisions. Learn more at buckeyehills.org.
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,300 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IDC members are engaged in the full range of economic development experiences. Given the breadth of economic development work, its members are employed in a wide variety of settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. IEDC’s members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.