Our Next Chapter

The Land Bank was proud to release a strategic plan in 2020 with a focus on building neighborhoods. It put a direct emphasis on the three key features of any neighborhood: land, buildings, and people. Most importantly, it offered an action plan to strengthen all three.

Five years later, the Land Bank has made unparalleled investments in Lucas County neighborhoods by advancing the plan's goals.

We've put the community's land assets to use by:

• Partnering with the Lucas County Treasurer’s and Prosecutor’s offices to clear title on 1,243 formerly abandoned lots in 56 different neighborhoods.

• Repurposing over 220 acres of land through side lot sales, greening projects, Metroparks development, urban farming, place-making, and beautification.

• Implementing a one-stop shop for vacant land redevelopment with the City of Toledo, creating a seamless customer service experience for those seeking access to public land for new development.

We've developed buildings by:

• Partnering with individuals and businesses to renovate or build 294 formerly abandoned buildings in 51 different neighborhoods, leveraging at least $22 million in private investment.

• Providing 670 free home visits and facilitating $589,651 of renovation capital over 38 loans to help incentivize projects and preserve our existing housing stock.

• Renovating 33 homes to a move-in-ready standard in 16 different neighborhoods, raising neighborhood values and adding 43,549 square feet of the highest-quality living space to the market.

Finally, we've invested in people by:

• Activating new attention and investments in 4 RISE neighborhoods – Secor Gardens, Garfield, Clinton Park, and Scott Park – and focusing on long-term change at the block level for the first time through Building Blocks in Clinton Park.

• Contributing $1,318,000 through the Neighborhoods Fund to dozens of quality-of-life projects across 26 neighborhoods that are already challenged with too many abandoned properties.

• Completing a second survey of the 122,000 parcels in Toledo and seeing that one-of-a-kind data be used to generate over $68 million in competitive grant awards to the region.

In the coming years, our goal is to maintain the momentum we've built with this plan.

In December, the Land Bank's approved amendments that refined our priorities to focus on three key areas that make the most sense for this land bank:

1. Reclaiming abandoned lots and buildings to unlock opportunities

2. Investing in housing to support healthy and affordable places to live

3. Creating safe, attractive, and resilient open spaces to promote quality of life

Of course, we can't do any of this with you. Collaborating with the community is our superpower and your best chance to make a difference in your own neighborhood. So, reach out, learn more, and let's keep building neighborhoods—together!