Lansing Makes Moves To Re-purpose Foreclosed Properties

Lansing Makes Moves To Re-purpose Foreclosed Properties

Posted: Oct 12, 2011 5:38 PM EDT

via WLNS Ch 6 Lansing, MI

There are hundreds of foreclosed properties in Lansing. It's a harsh reality the city and many other areas have faced recently.

The City of Lansing and Ingham County Created a partnership years ago that continues today to try and combat the problem. The Lansing Committee on Development and Planning turned down the offer of tax foreclosed properties from the Ingham County Treasurer Wednesday.

The Ingham County Treasurer, Eric Shertzing is happy to get nearly 100 more foreclosed properties. In these tough economic times it's the best option for both the city and county.

"The land back structure authority by design is structured much more swiftly then municipalities could ever be," said Bob Johnson with Lansing Planning and Neighborhood Development.

Back in 2005 the city and county came together in a shared vision where foreclosed properties that didn't sell in auction would be turned over to the Ingham County Landbank.

"Some of the properties will be demolished, some will be restored in one of the landbank programs," said Schertzing,

Demolishing empty homes and creating large spaces for re-development is creating big opportunities for the city. The land could be a mix use, or a condo or apartment complex down the road.

Shertzing has many ideas to put these empty properties back to good use, something the City of Lansing Planning and Neighborhood Development director Bob Johnson couldn't agree more with.

"It's the revitalization of our neighborhoods, putting properties back to production and use and back on the tax roll," said Johnson.

This will now move on to the full council next week and Johnson says he's pretty confident it will pass with full support.