Erie Land Bank reopens 221 Locust for sale as two 60-foot lots after multiple bids

The Erie Land Bank voted May 19 to relist 221 Locust as two individual 60-foot lots and to invite those who previously submitted proposals to return with firm timelines and commitments.

Board Chair Chris said the decision followed a closed review of multiple offers and legal guidance. "Maximizing development in the city, period. That's what we're trying to do," Chris told the board. He said the relisting aims to encourage more than one house at the site: "If we think that we can perhaps get an extra house or 2 built, by structuring things differently, that's sort of the obligation we have."

The board discussed public comments and two nearby property owners who support redevelopment at the Locust site. Adam Trott of Rothmeyer's Partnership described the parcel as a "former triple lot" that was combined into one and said the buyers plan to divide the 120-foot frontage into two 60-foot single-family lots that would fit the neighborhood. Dan Collins, who lives at 218 Ridley Avenue behind the site, said the vacant lot had "brought down the neighborhood" and that new homes would restore value and the tax base.

Land Bank staff said multiple bids had been received, one of them arriving the morning of the meeting. After a closed-session review of those bids, the board voted to publicly relist the property as two 60-foot lots and to encourage prior bidders to return with firm schedules and commitments; the chair emphasized that the property will be offered openly so other interested parties can also submit proposals.

Board members framed the relisting as an effort to produce more housing rather than transfer land for long-term holding. The Land Bank said it will require firm development timetables from bidders and intends to prioritize proposals that move toward construction quickly.

The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the meeting transcript; the motion to relist passed on a voice vote with the chair announcing, "Aye. None opposed. Motion carries." The Land Bank said it will publicly repost the listing and solicit binding proposals.

The decision follows earlier public-comment appeals for the site: Trott said the proposed structures would be "well under any limits for the property," and Collins described prior deterioration and a desire to return the lot to the tax roll. The board also noted interest on other inventory parcels and said it would continue to shepherd sales through settlement and closing.

Looking ahead, staff will publish the relisted parcel as two lots, invite revised proposals from prior bidders and new offers, and require clearer development timelines in submitted proposals.