LIMA — While efforts continue on securing federal funding for the Allen County Land Bank, county residents will soon see tangible results with two Lima houses ready to be demolished within the next few weeks.
After meeting Tuesday at the Allen County Commissioners Office, the Land Bank board said several municipalities and townships have signed memorandums of understanding with the land bank, including the city of Lima, which unanimously approved an MOU with the land bank during Monday’s council meeting.
“It indicates [Lima’s] desire and interest to work with the county land bank,” Allen County Treasurer Rachael Gilroy said. “It acknowledges we’ll be demolishing houses within city limits and it also indicates what their responsibilities are.”
The MOU also indicates guidelines as to how the land bank would work with any tax delinquent properties acquired.
“We intend to hold the properties as long as necessary, but no longer than three years,” Gilroy said. “That’s what the grant permits as far as providing maintenance costs for the properties. After that three years for any properties the land bank still holds, we’d like to transfer them back to the city and they’ll find outlets for the properties then.”
The county is hoping to have 300 properties in the pipeline for demolition and reacquisition. The Neighborhood Impact Program grant the county is seeking would provide $25,000 per property, totaling $7 million in funds. By using tax delinquency penalty funds to start bringing down properties, Gilroy hopes that it will show the grant distributors that Allen County has both the will and the means to use the funds properly.
To that end, the land bank has requested bids for demolition of 962 W. Wayne St. and 330 and 330 1/2 S. Metcalf St. to begin the process. As part of the grant process, demolitions would have to take place by Aug. 19.
The land bank also hopes to hold a public informational meeting in August to help the public better understand the land bank acquisition process, as well as how they could get involved.
“We could describe what we’re doing and why we’re doing it and what they could do to help,” Gilroy said. “If they’re interested in a property or see us working in their neighborhood, there are things they can do to help us out.”
