Land Bank Announces Property Acquisition

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Reutilization Corporation also known as the Land Bank is acquiring an abandoned property near the Airport Exit. 

Land Bank Executive Director Andy Roberts talked about how the former Travelodge property is a prime location for commercial development and conveniently located across U.S. 40 from the entrance to the National Road Business Park.

“We’re still in contract on it, so we’re still working out a deal right now, which we still have to get that closed,” Roberts said. “Once we get it closed, then we’re going to attempt to use state demolition funds to raze the property. And then go on from there. We hope to have the property closed by the first of the year, somewhere around there. After that, we would hope to have the property demolished sometime in (20)26.”

Roberts said the property contains about 6 acres and nearly a mile of Interstate-70 frontage, when adding in its two adjacent properties.

“We feel the property is holding the intersection back from future development. By getting rid of this, it’s just like what we do with houses you know. We go after the worst house in the neighborhood and try to address that and then watch the neighborhood grow around it. Same thing with this; it’s just a bigger deal,” Roberts said.

He also noted that revenues from other Land Bank property sales will be used for the purchase and that the funding for the property’s reclamation will come from grants, once they’ve been applied for and awarded.