Land Bank Impact Study + Projects

  • Resourcefulness Through Reclamation in Benzie County

    Resourcefulness Through Reclamation and Recycling: How Benzie County Has Cut Demo and Dumping Costs With an operating budget under $100,000, Benzie County Land Bank Authority’s pool of funding for demolition and site cleanup is a far cry from some of its larger land bank counterparts...

  • Main Street Impact in Benzie County

    Leveraging Partnerships for Main Street Impact Driving on US-31 through northwest lower Michigan, the “Question Mark” building was an unmistakable landmark for residents and businesses alike in the heart of downtown Honor, MI. Adapted in the early 1990s, the two-story commercial building served as an...

  • Increasing Collaboration through Lot Maintenance

    Increasing Collaboration and Building Local Capacity through Lot Maintenance To support local land stewardship and improve lot maintenance, the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority developed the Neighborhood Mow & Maintenance Program. Through this program, local community groups and nonprofits can apply to the land bank...

  • Supporting Local Firefighter Training

    Supporting Local Firefighter Training with Land Bank Properties Many land banks today are working to answer the question, what comes after demolition? While working to address that issue, the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority has found a unique use for land bank properties before demolition:...

  • Transforming Vacant Spaces in Washington Square

    Transforming Properties and Perceptions: The Story of Art Hop and Washington Square Unlike many land banks in the country focusing strictly on residential properties, the Kalamazoo County Land Bank Authority has taken on commercial property revitalization since its founding in 2009, often using creative paths...

  • Improving access to lots in Calhoun

    Improving Access to Vacant Lot Ownership while Saving Taxpayers’ Money To kick off its first-ever side lot sale and get residents excited about the opportunity to expand their ownership footprint by purchasing adjacent lots, the Calhoun County Land Bank hosted a Spring Fling event. At...

  • Flint’s Oak School Transformation

    Transforming a Historic School into Affordable Senior Housing The Genesee County Land Bank completed renovation of the Oak School in Flint two years ago this month. Originally a school built in 1856 and closed in 1976, the building was then used by Genesee County Community...

  • Gogebic Spotlight

    Funding Solution for Local Entities in Gogebic

    Land Bank as Funding Solution for Local Entities Large and small communities across the state struggle with a similar problem—they need to address blighted buildings, but lack the funding to do so. While there is certainly a difference of scale in the number of buildings...

  • Building Better Neighborhoods in Marquette

    Building Better Neighborhoods by Partnering with Local Schools The Marquette County Land Bank is partnering with Ishpeming High School’s Industrial Arts Program to renovate a formerly abandoned home across the street from the school. The land bank donated the property to the school last year,...

  • Strengthening Communities in Kalamazoo

    Strengthening Communities through Partnership to Demolish and Remove Blight The Kalamazoo County Land Bank is partnering with the Kalamazoo County Treasurer and local municipalities to demolish blighted structures that have been foreclosed on by the county treasurer for delinquent property taxes and are endangering neighborhoods...