Philadelphia Land Bank Board has approved proposed strategic plan.

The Philadelphia Land Bank Board has approved the Land Bank’s proposed strategic plan. The plan is a blueprint for returning vacant and tax delinquent properties to productive reuse.

“Today’s vote by the board brings us one step closer to fulfilling the promise of the Land Bank legislation passed by City Council,” said Michael Koonce, chair of the Land Bank Board of Directors, at Thursday's meeting. “We look forward to submitting the plan to Council and to Council’s consideration of it.”

The strategic plan outlines seven core goals:

• Return individual lots and buildings to productive use
• Promote equitable community development, including affordable, accessible and visitable housing
• Extend private investment
• Contribute to long-term economic vitality for local businesses on commercial corridors
• Reinforce open space initiatives and urban agriculture, including existing and new community gardens
• Support clear and transparent land bank operations
• Actively market land bank properties

The Land Bank released a draft strategic plan on Oct. 1 for public comment and held a public hearing on Oct. 15. More than 125 members of the public attended the hearing and nearly 30 submitted verbal or written comments. The proposed strategic plan reflects and responds to those comments.

“We heard and took seriously what the public had to say, especially around affordable, accessible and visitable housing,” said Koonce. “The public comments were thoughtful and helpful, and the proposed strategic plan is stronger because of them.”

The proposed strategic plan will be submitted to City Council in early November for Council consideration. The ordinance creating the Land Bank requires that a strategic plan be approved by City Council before the Land Bank can acquire or dispose of properties.

The proposed strategic plan is available on the Land Bank’s website at philadelphialandbank.org.

Source: Philly.com