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Senate Bill 39 Allows Up to $100 Million in Business Incentive Credits for Transformational Mixed-Use Development in the State of Ohio

Client Alert

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 39 on December 29, 2020, which created a new tax credit applicable to insurance premium taxes. This tax credit is designed to provide funding for a transformational mixed-use development or “TMUD” in the state of Ohio.

Effective as of March 31, 2021, Senate Bill 39 authorizes the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (“OTCA”), within the Ohio Development Services Agency (“ODSA”), to award up to $100 million of total business incentive credits in each of the fiscal years 2020-2023, which will then be applied against insurance premium taxes. Individual projects are capped at $40 million. Of the $100 million, there remains a reserved amount of $20 million of such credits each fiscal year for projects not located within a “Major City”, which is within ten miles of a municipality with more than 100,000 people.           

What Qualifies as a TMUD Project?

According to O.R.C. 122.09, the development project may be certified as a TMUD by meeting the following requirements:

  1. Must consist of new construction or redevelopment, rehabilitation, or expansion of an existing vacant structure, or a combination of the two; and
  2. Must have a “transformational economic impact” on the site and surrounding area. Transformational economic impact can be measured through the estimated increased tax collections resulting from the increased activity of the development, which must exceed 10% of the development costs within five (5) years of certification (as measured by a preliminary economic impact study, although not yet defined); and
  3. Must be mixed-use (integrating some combination of retail, office, residential, recreation, structured parking, or other similar uses); and
  4. Must include a structure or structures that meet certain height, square footage, or increased payroll requirements (urban projects must include at least one new or previously vacant building that is a) at least 15 stories high, or b) has a floor area of at least 350,000 square feet, or c) after completion will be the site of employment accounting for at least $4 million in annual payroll, or d) includes two or more connected buildings that collectively have a floor area exceeding 350,000 square feet); and
  5. Cannot be completed unless the applicant receives the credit; and
  6. Must have estimated development costs exceeding $50 million if the project is located within ten miles of a Major City.

Who Can Apply?

Those who may apply for these TMUDs include either a) property owners, or b) insurance companies that contribute capital which is then used in the planning or construction of this type of eligible development. Insurance companies may ultimately claim this credit, as it is a credit against an entity’s Ohio insurance premium taxes. A property owner who originally applies and receives the TMUD credit may either transfer it to an insurance company or sell or transfer the rights to that credit to others in order to raise project capital.

What’s Next?

The state is currently undertaking rulemaking for this new incentive and developing program guidelines. These guidelines, as defined by the Director of ODSA, are expected to be released within the next 30 days. All TMUD projects must be certified by the OTCA by June 30, 2023.

For additional questions on this tax credit, please contact BMD Member Jason Butterworth at jabutterworth@bmdllc.com or (330) 374-3216.


Florida's Recent Ruling on Arbitration Clauses

Florida’s recent ruling on arbitration clauses provides a crucial distinction in determining whether such clauses are void as against public policy and providers may have the opportunity to include arbitration clauses in their patient consent forms. On March 6, 2024, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed and remanded Florida’s Fifteenth Circuit Court ruling of Piero Palacios v. Sharnice Lawson. The Court of Appeals ruled that the parties’ arbitration agreement did not contradict the Legislature’s intent of Florida’s Medical Malpractice Act (the “MMA”), but rather reflects the parties’ choice to arbitrate claims entirely outside of the MMA’s framework. Therefore, the Court found that the agreement was not void as against public policy.

Corporate Transparency Act Update 3/14/24

On March 1, 2024, a federal district court in the Northern District of Alabama concluded that the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) exceeded Congressional powers and enjoined the Department of the Treasury from enforcing the CTA against the plaintiffs. National Small Business United v. Yellen, No. 5:22-cv-01448 (N.D. Ala.). On March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed the district court’s decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Ohio State University Launches Its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program

In response to Ohio’s nursing shortage, The Ohio State University College of Nursing is accepting applications for its new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (aBSN). Created for students with a bachelor’s degree in non-nursing fields, the aBSN allows such students to obtain their nursing degree within 18 months. All aBSN students will participate in high-quality coursework and gain valuable clinical experience. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to take the State Board, National Council of Licensure Exam for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN).

Another Transparency Obligation: The FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements

Many physician practices and healthcare businesses are facing a new set of federal transparency requirements that require action now. The U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements (the “Rule”), which was promulgated pursuant to the 2021 bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act, is intended to help curb illegal finance and other impermissible activity in the United States.

“In for a Penny, in for a Pound” is No Longer the Case for Florida Lawyers

On April 1, 2024, newly adopted Rule 1.041 to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedures goes into effect which creates a procedure for an attorney to appear in a limited manner in civil proceedings.  Currently, when a Florida attorney appears in a civil proceeding, he or she is reasonable for handling all aspects of the case for their client.  This new rule authorizes an attorney to file a notice limiting the attorney’s appearance to particular proceedings or specified matters prior to any appearance before the court.  For example, an attorney can now appear for the limited purpose of filing and arguing a motion to dismiss.  Once the motion to dismiss is heard by the court, the attorney may file a notice of termination of limited appearance and will have no further obligations in the case.