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$3.5 billion Ohio capital bill unveiled, with millions for local projects, infrastructure, Intel

By Karen Kasler

Published May 31, 2022 at 7:21 PM EDT

This is the proposed site of an Intel computer chip plant northeast of Columbus. [Daniel Konik / Statehouse News Bureau] — This is the proposed site of an Intel computer chip plant northeast of Columbus.

State lawmakers plan to quickly pass the bill that funds state spending on community projects, higher education, prisons and infrastructure over the next two years: the $3.5 billion capital bill.

The capital bill includes $1.1 billion promised for the Intel semiconductor chip factory planned for Licking County, including tax incentives.

"$695 million is GRF [general revenue funds] to go to local roads and the onshoring incentive, which of course is $300 million per pad to incentivize groups like Intel to come and build in the United States and in Ohio as compared to the costs of doing it other places," said Senate Finance Committee chair Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) in introducing the bill. "That has a clawback provision, so if Intel does not in fact go forward, the state is allowed to claw back those dollars.”

The bill also includes $100 million in school safety grants and $50 million for local jails.

The $191.3 million in community projects includes $2.4 million for the Lima Community Pool – notably, Senate President Matt Huffman and House Speaker Bob Cupp, who are both Republicans, are from Lima.

Other community projects in the capital budget include:

$2.5 million for the Heritage Trail extension in Franklin County

$2.5 million for a multipurpose building for the nonprofit anti-sex trafficking group Gracehaven in Franklin County

$2 million for the Findlay Market garage in downtown Cincinnati

$2 million for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra

$1.7 million for the Cleveland Zoo Primate Rainforest

$1.5 million for Blossom Music Center

$1.4 million for the Columbus Zoo

$1.25 million for the Toledo Museum of Art

$1.2 million for the Findlay Community and Recreation Center in Cincinnati

$1.2 million for the Gateway to Freedom Park in Cincinnati

$1 million each for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Playhouse Square in Cleveland, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Franklin Park Conservatory, the Port Regal Theatre in Cincinnati, the YMCA's Camp Y-Noah in Akron and the renovation of the Historic Arcade in Newark