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Grand Rapids launches city land bank; 106 properties to transfer from state authority in February
Summary
City staff and commissioners discussed next steps for a newly created Grand Rapids land bank, including an anticipated transfer of about 106 properties in early February, options for long-term governance and the need for staffing and budget planning.
Grand Rapids officials briefed the city commission on plans to stand up a city land bank and take control of roughly 106 properties now held by the state land bank, with an anticipated transfer on Feb. 1.
At a Jan. meeting, Sarah Renero, the city’s economic development director, said the state “land bank fast track authority” amendments that took effect in 2023 enable municipalities in counties without a county-level land bank to establish their own. “Land banks are public authorities … to put these properties back into productive use,” Renero said, describing the authority’s powers to hold, manage and sell property, accept grants and loans, and issue bonds.
Why it matters: The city’s land bank is intended to give Grand Rapids a focused tool to return vacant or tax-foreclosed parcels to housing or other productive use, coordinate with corridor and neighborhood planning, and couple land disposition with other financing tools such as Brownfield tax-increment capture and the city’s Affordable Housing Fund.
City staff reported that the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has been designated in the enabling agreement as the initial board for the land bank while the city completes the first set of enabling documents and transfers. City leaders said that the Brownfield board’s role is temporary and that the commission may rescind the arrangement and move to a different governance model — including a mayoral appointment process approved by the commission — after further review.
City Manager (unnamed) told commissioners the briefing was intended to solicit commission direction before staff begins work on governance changes, staffing and a budget plan. He said the city expects the first property transfer from the state to occur on Feb. 1 and that the newly formed authority will need legal services, property maintenance and disposition plans in the near term.
Commission comments focused on two near-term priorities: (1) ensuring adequate staffing and an operating budget for land-bank activities and (2) shaping governance and appointment processes so the board can act nimbly while being accountable and reflective of community needs. Several commissioners urged early engagement with community groups and corridor authorities and recommended explicit criteria for prioritizing dispositions (for example, nonprofit affordable-housing projects and “emerging developer” pipelines).
Next steps noted by staff include: the Brownfield/Land Bank Authority electing officers at its next meeting; staff contracting for maintenance and legal services (estimated at roughly $65,000 annually in initial planning materials); finishing the list of properties and buildability reviews; and returning to the commission with a transition plan and budget considerations in the coming weeks so the commission can decide whether to alter the initial governance structure.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to prepare a change-management timeline that outlines costs, staffing, and recommended appointment procedures. Staff said they would return with a proposed governance timeline and budget inputs timed to the commission’s work on the next fiscal-year plan.
