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Kankakee council approves transfers, liens and sales to move vacant and improved properties into private hands or land bank
Summary
The City Council approved a series of resolutions and an ordinance amendment to remove one parcel from the city—s improved-parcel sales list and to transfer or sell several properties, assign liens to the regional land bank and accept a deed on a demo-listed house so the city can clear title before demolition.
Kankakee City Council on Monday approved several measures to move city-owned properties into rehabilitation or private ownership, including removing 427 South Chicago Avenue from the city—s list of improved parcels and transferring it to the Kankakee Regional Land Bank.
The actions are part of an effort to reduce the number of vacant and boarded properties the city owns and put them in the hands of entities that will renovate or redevelop them.
City attorney (in-house counsel) told the council the ordinance amendment removes 427 South Chicago Avenue from the list attached to Ordinance 2022-57 so the parcel can be deeded to the land bank under the city—s intergovernmental agreement. The council then approved a separate resolution to transfer the property to the land bank.
The council also approved a resolution assigning city liens on 643 South Myrtle Avenue to the Kankakee Regional Land Bank so the land bank can pursue foreclosure and rehabilitation, and it accepted a deed for 620 North Chicago Avenue, a house that had been on the city—s demolition list. City staff said accepting the deed will let the city own the lot after demolition rather than leaving an empty lot with a lien held by another owner.
Separately, the council approved sale or transfer resolutions for two properties identified for reuse: 466 Country Club Drive, which officials said will be transferred to MR Rentals of Kankakee and is expected to receive about $100,000 in renovations, and a triangular parcel needed to expand a neighboring car dealership (associated with 790— 794 North Fifth Avenue) to satisfy a prior conditional-use condition. Staff said the dealership—s owner had waited roughly two years and that the sale will allow the business to pave and landscape the lot as required by its conditional-use approval.
Votes on the resolutions were unanimous where recorded; motions were moved and seconded by aldermen on the floor before roll-call votes of 12 ayes, 0 nays on each measure.
City staff and ECDA (Economic and Community Development Agency) staff described a multi-step vetting process for the improved-parcel sales program: an internal city review team (department heads) scores applications, then committees such as the Community Development Authority (CDA) or Economic Development Committee recommend actions to council. Staff emphasized the program favors applicants who will live in and quickly rehabilitate properties rather than hold them without work.
Council members asked about the developer for 466 Country Club Drive (identified in the meeting as MR Rentals of Kankakee) and when work would begin; ECDA staff said the developer was prepared to start this summer but cautioned permits must be pulled before a precise start date could be given.
The council majority characterized the set of actions as part of a continuing initiative to reduce the city—s inventory of vacant and blighted properties by moving titles and liens to entities that can invest and return the properties to the tax rolls.
Ending: The series of transfers and sales approved Monday are administrative steps staff said are intended to accelerate rehabilitation; council members and staff indicated they expect additional similar resolutions in coming meetings as the city continues to move properties through the land bank and improved-parcel process.
