Land bank another tool in rehabilitating blighted properties
Since Butler County designated its Redevelopment Authority as its land bank manager in November 2020, it has acquired 38 parcels of land throughout the county.
Redevelopment Authority CEO Ed Mauk said the land bank gives municipalities another tool to mitigate blighted properties, because the land bank’s aim is to “recycle” real estate.
“At the end of the day, we are trying to take unproductive real estate and turn it into productive real estate,” Mauk said. “Whether that's getting them back on the tax rolls, generating tax revenue for the jurisdictions or utilizing that real estate for the best purpose that benefits the citizens of the county.”
The state’s Land Bank Legislation Act authorized the creation of land banks as a state entity in 2012. Mauk said Butler County received a $75,000 grant through the act, Act 137, to purchase properties meant to be rehabilitated.
Andrew Menchyk, solicitor for the Redevelopment Authority, said that to date, all of the land bank’s acquisition of properties have been by voluntary conveyance, mainly because they are tax delinquent, and some blighted. Through the land bank, tax delinquent properties can be rehabilitated to eventually be sold.
“We have blight mitigation through joint intergovernmental agreements with municipalities,” Menchyk said. “We demolish certain properties, and it enables the land bank to acquire these properties and clear taxes with the ultimate tactic to put them to use and circulation, and into the hands of taxpayers.”
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