Center Stage

This April, the Lucas County Land Bank welcomed the 15th Annual Ohio Land Bank Conference to the Glass City Center in downtown Toledo — and by every measure, it was the biggest and best gathering in the organization's history.

From April 22nd to 24th, 508 people joined the event, a new high-water mark that continues a steady four-year climb. Guests came from 58 of Ohio's 88 counties and 11 different states, filling nearly 400 hotel room nights across two host properties and turning Toledo into the epicenter of Ohio's land revitalization movement for a week.

The heart of the conference was getting statewide colleagues out into the community, and Toledo showed up. Four mobile tours took dozens of attendees off-site to see the Land Bank's work firsthand: a boat tour along the Maumee River, a downtown walking tour, and neighborhood tours highlighting years of transformation on the ground. Attendees gave these tours the highest ratings of the entire event, the clearest sign that seeing Toledo's neighborhoods in person left a lasting impression.

That local flavor extended well beyond the tours. Local vendors, caterers, and entertainers helped host the event, and 15 Northwest Ohio businesses signed on as first-time sponsors, drawn in specifically by the chance to support their hometown Land Bank. All told, OLBA's spending on venue, catering, audiovisual, and local entertainment put roughly $157,000 directly into the Toledo economy over the course of the week — money that flowed straight into the local businesses that helped make the conference a success.

The programming lineup gave attendees plenty to talk about, too. Thirty-three sessions covered everything from tax credit financing to the legislative landscape facing land banks statewide, with the Legislative Landscape closing session and the Land Bank 101 & Tax Foreclosure 101 primer among the most valued by attendees. The Lucas County Prosecutor's Office's own Suzanne Mandros was honored with the Jim Rokakis Champion of Change Award, a fitting recognition during a week that put her steadfast efforts over the past 15 years in the statewide spotlight.

Perhaps the most striking announcement of the week came at Wednesday's opening news conference, where the Lucas County Land Bank unveiled a new 15-Year Economic Impact Study conducted with BGSU's Center for Regional Development. The findings: a $1.02 billion impact on the local economy since the Land Bank's founding, with every dollar of investment returning seven dollars to the region — a fitting backdrop for a week spent showing the whole state what that investment looks like on the ground.

None of this happens without months of planning and a community willing to show up. The Land Bank team, led by Stephanie Shackelford, spent eight months preparing to welcome its statewide colleagues, and Toledo delivered — from the mobile tours through revitalized neighborhoods to a lively Main Reception at Toledo Pickle complete with karaoke and a pickleball tournament.

As OLBA looks ahead to the Mahoning Valley in 2027, the Toledo conference leaves behind a high bar and a clear message: Toledo and Lucas County know how to bring people together around the work of rebuilding neighborhoods.