Land Bank Board Meeting

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Reutilization Corporation, also known as the Land Bank, held a board meeting to share the status of the projects they are handling as well as the grant monies they applied for.

Land Bank Executive Director Andy Roberts highlighted some of the key discussions that took place.

“We just made an application to the state for an additional million dollars worth of Brownfield grant cleanup that will go towards three different properties,” Roberts said. “We should hear back on that money the first of the year. We’re exploring the possibility of putting in an application for the Welcome Home Ohio program, which is a state initiative to add affordable housing to our community. Then as well we had about $1.7 million worth of demolition funds reallocated so that we can go after an additional 15 properties within Muskingum County.”

Roberts said that property cleanup is the big task but during the past few years, redeveloping the properties for quick reoccupation has taken a more significant role. 

“The Welcome Home Ohio program, the state legislature designated this money to be used to create affordable housing. The Land Bank plays a role in ensuring that the houses are built properly, built in areas that is needed and then the houses are sold to individuals who meet certain income requirements. Within the legislation they’re capped, they cannot be sold for more than $220,000, on the initial sale,” Roberts said.

The Land Bank, through a variety of grants, now plays a vital role in residential demolition and reutilization, without overburdening the county’s budget or the taxpayers.