To grow Toledo’s tax base and strengthen the City’s long-term economic vitality by proactively preparing sites and buildings for redevelopment that attract good-paying jobs, new housing, and enhance the City’s vibrancy.

Empowering Toledo’s Future

Upcoming Events

Board of Director’s Meetings are always held at 11 am on the 22nd Floor of the One Government Center.

May 26
June 29
July 27
August 31
September 28
October 26
November 30
December 21

Our Mission

The Toledo Community Improvement Corporation (TCIC) is a public, nonprofit organization that strategically prepares and leverages shovel-ready real estate and public tools to unlock private investment that create jobs, new housing and long-term growth of Toledo’s tax base that the market would not otherwise deliver on its own.

TCIC’s role is to remove barriers, reduce risk, and create conditions for growth to occur more rapidly, sustainably and inclusively across Toledo.

Shovel Ready
Sites Fund

A Proactive Investment in Toledo’s Future

The $20 million Shovel Ready Sites Fund represents a strategic, forward-thinking investment designed to position Toledo to compete—and win—in today’s highly competitive economic development landscape.

Across the country, communities that succeed in attracting new jobs, housing, and private investment share one common advantage: they have sites ready for development when opportunities arise. Without prepared sites, projects often go elsewhere—regardless of Toledo’s strengths.

This fund allows Toledo to act proactively, not reactively.

Too often, promising development opportunities are lost because sites are not ready. Barriers such as fragmented ownership, environmental challenges, outdated infrastructure, or lack of due diligence can delay projects by months or years.
The Shovel Ready Sites Fund is designed to eliminate those barriers by:
- Assembling and preparing strategic properties
- Completing environmental remediation and due diligence
- Investing in site readiness and infrastructure
- Reducing risk for private developers and employers
By doing this work upfront, Toledo can significantly accelerate timelines, making it easier for companies and developers to choose Toledo with confidence.
The Shovel Ready Sites Fund is powered by an innovative funding approach that leverages existing economic growth—not new taxes.
The fund is supported by a dedicated revenue stream from the Rossford-Toledo Joint Economic Development Zone (JEDZ), providing long-term, stable funding to invest in site readiness.
This model allows Toledo to:
- Invest at scale without placing new burdens on taxpayers
- Reinvest regional economic growth back into Toledo
- Sustain site preparation efforts over the long term
It is a self-sustaining tool designed to fuel continued economic momentum.
The Shovel Ready Sites Fund will enable the Toledo Community Improvement Corporation to:
- Proactively acquire and assemble strategic sites
- Prepare land for job-creating industrial and commercial projects
- Support new housing and mixed-use development
- Revitalize underutilized and legacy commercial corridors
- Unlock private investment that would not otherwise occur
By creating a pipeline of development-ready sites, Toledo will be positioned to respond immediately when opportunities arise—rather than scrambling to catch up.

Leadership

Brandon Sehlhorst serves as the Chief Growth Officer for the City of Toledo and Executive Director for the Toledo Community Improvement Corporation. In these roles, he leads the City’s comprehensive growth strategy focused on attracting jobs, private-sector investment and new residents to Toledo.

A Toledo-native, Brandon returned home in 2017 driven by his passion for transforming the Glass City. Under his leadership, the city has facilitated the sale of more than 400-acres of underutilized land, resulting in the creation of over 1,000 jobs and more than $130 million in private investment. Toledo’s economic development efforts have received national recognition, with Site Selection magazine ranking the city among the Top 10 mid-size metropolitan areas for business investment for six consecutive years, including a #1 ranking in 2021.

Brandon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate from the University of Cincinnati. He was recognized with the 20 Under 40 Award in 2023 for his community leadership, and was named Economic Developer of the Year by the Ohio Economic Development Association in 2024.

Board of Directors

A nine-member Board of Directors oversees the TCIC. Board Members represent a diverse group of elective officials, civic leaders and real estate professionals.