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Commission approves $40,000 feasibility study for land bank to tackle vacant properties
Summary
The commission approved up to $40,000 for Renew Land Bank (a subsidiary of Intend Indiana) to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a land bank for Michigan City, beginning Oct. 15 and running through April 15, 2026.
The Michigan City Redevelopment Commission on Sept. 8 approved a feasibility study, not to exceed $40,000, to evaluate establishing a land bank in Michigan City and to identify the tools the city needs to recover and redevelop vacant and abandoned properties.
City staff said the consultant Renew Land Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intend Indiana, will analyze local conditions, identify statutory and administrative tools that the city has or lacks, and propose an implementation framework. The feasibility study would run from Oct. 15, 2025, through April 15, 2026, and include staff time estimated at about 250 hours.
Jeb Reese of Intend/ Renew Land Bank described land banks as entities that "return vacant and abandoned properties to productive use" by stabilizing parcels, vetting buyers, requiring development plans and enforcing timeframes for redevelopment. Reese cited examples in Indiana, including work in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Kosciusko counties and a larger program in South Bend where a land bank and related programs supported dozens of new houses and leveraged private investment.
City staff explained the redevelopment commission and city currently provide many redevelopment tools but said a land bank is different in that it is generally better suited to acquiring, holding and quickly transferring small residential parcels for targeted neighborhood rehabilitation. Staff said the feasibility study will identify gaps in code enforcement, lien processes and other administrative tools and recommend next steps.
Commissioners voted to approve the not-to-exceed $40,000 agreement with Renew Land Bank; the motion included direction that a formal services agreement be provided before work begins. City counsel confirmed the approval commits commission funds for the feasibility study but that the commission will receive a formal services agreement for signature. The vote was recorded as all in favor with no nays.
If the study recommends formation of a land bank, staff said a formal implementation plan and any necessary authorizing documents would be brought back to the commission for further action. The feasibility study is intended to clarify whether Michigan City has the statutory authority, administrative capacity and other elements necessary to sustain a land bank and, if so, what model would be appropriate.
