Lackawanna County Land Bank approves acquisitions, conveyances and restricted lot-combination

The Lackawanna County Land Bank voted to approve a series of property actions at its meeting on April 9, 2025, including acquiring unsold tax-repository properties, conveying parcels under its property purchase program, entering option agreements to submit preemptive judicial sale bids on several Scranton properties and a site sought by the Lackawanna River Basin Authority, and allowing a Thornhurst Township buyer to combine two lots subject to a five-year restriction.

The actions matter because they clear title or secure control of properties that the land bank staff said are on demolition lists or necessary for municipal or utility projects, allowing the county and its partner agencies to move forward with demolition, stormwater and wastewater planning, or conveyances to homeowners and community organizations.

At the start of the meeting, land bank staff reported the agency has conveyed 188 properties to date. In the City of Scranton alone, staff said 275 conveyances have been completed, with breakouts cited for neighborhoods including West Scranton (80), South Scranton (67), North Scranton (72), Green Ridge (203 in ZIP 18509), and East Scranton (19 in ZIP 18510). Staff also listed recent conveyances to local partners: three properties to the City of Scranton, three to United Neighborhood Community Development Corporation, five to Scranton Lackawanna Resource…