In The News
Check out the latest news from around the community and see how the Summit County Land Bank and its partners are making a difference in our community, and around the state!
summit county’s first facility for homeless female veterans opens (akron beacon journal, 09/26/19)
Tanzania Johnson joined the U.S. Air Force to get out of Akron and start a new beginning…
Photo Credit: The Blade (Toledo, OH)
demolish industrial hulks (the blade, 05/29/19)
Deserving of positive action in the Ohio General Assembly is the bill introduced by Rep. Dave Greenspan (R., Westlake) to allocate $50 million to the state’s land banks to demolish deteriorating commercial and industrial buildings.ll
Photo Credit: Courtesy of LDA Architects
Bowery project work begins just in time to save downtown Akron buildings (Akron Beacon journal, 11/16/18)
With all of the complex financing finally in place, serious prep work began Friday on the $42 million Bowery redevelopment project…
Photo Credit: Mike Cardew, Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
69 ‘slumlord’ properties pushed into foreclosure (akron beacon journal, 08/18/18)
The county land bank got outbid at a sheriff’s sale last week in the first fully contested battle between a “slumlord” — who doesn’t pay taxes while evicting hundreds of tenants — and the public officials trying to hold him accountable...
Photo Credit: Summit County Land Bank File Photo
Akron council looks to build up law to help tear down blighted, abandoned commercial sites in the city (akron Beacon Journal, 05/21/18)
Before Akron city government approves a law cataloging abandoned and vacant commercial and industrial properties...
Photo Credit: Karen Schiely, Beacon Journal/Ohio.com
three akron eyesores will be torn down in middlebury neighborhood (akron beacon journal, 05/18/18)
The Summit County Land Bank is in the process of acquiring three blighted apartment buildings along East Exchange Street in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood and expects to demolish the structures later this year...
Summit County Land Bank Offers New Program For Commercial Properties (wksu.org, 11/13/17)
The Summit County Land Bank has launched a new program that it hopes will keep commercial properties from sliding toward blight and into demolition.
Photo Credit: County of Summit File Photo
interagency teamwork saves akron transitional home for drug-addicted me- (akron beacon journal, 10/18/17)
The county’s largest transitional housing program for drug-addicted men has avoided closure after timely intervention from public agencies...
summit county agencies to host landlord-tenant open house (cleveland.com, 10/11/17)
Five Summit County agencies are teaming up to offer a free landlord-tenant open house at the Arlington Church of God on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Photo Credit: Summit County Land Bank File Photo
summit county land bank lends a hand to prospective homeowners with new programs (cleveland.com, 10/09/17)
Summit County Land Bank has unveiled two new programs that aim to increase residential and commercial property ownership while bolstering Summit County neighborhoods and communities: Welcome Home and Building for Business...
Photo Credit: Steve Wiandt, MyTownNEO.com
Land Bank sees the blight, doing something about it (Mytownneo.com, 09/27/17)
After five years, conquering the blight of properties throughout the county continues to be the goal of an area nonprofit...
Photo Credit: Akron Beacon Journal File Photo, 2013
city plans demolition of rubber bowl (akron beacon journal, 09/22/17)
A judge has started the clock on the foreclosure and transfer of the dilapidated Rubber Bowl...
land bank's Patrick bravo: future of the rubber bowl (1590 wakr radio interview, 08/30/17)
Listen to Executive Director Patrick Bravo respond to questions about the future of the Rubber Bowl in Akron.
Iroquois Run home edges closer to being demolished (Nordonia hills news leader, 07/19/17)
A property on Iroquois Run that was purchased by the city in October 2015 may be closer to demolition...
Photo Credit: Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal
Foreclosures could give tenants opportunity to become homeowners (Akron beacon journal, 07/16/17)
Rainahja Wray-Johnson doesn’t let her 3-year-old daughter play in the kitchen.
It’s not the leaky gas pipe behind the stove or the faulty wiring in the electric oven or the missing smoke detectors that concern her most...
Photo Credit: Shane Wynn for AkronStock
Summit county taking mixed approach to economic development (crain's cleveland business, 07/09/17)
Summit County's economic development strategy is one of boots and bytes...
Photo Credit: File Photo, Cleveland.com
Squatter found dead in the window of vacant home in akron (cleveland.com, 06/30/17)
A Habitat for Humanity worker discovered a homeless squatter dead in the windowsill of a vacant Akron home, and investigators are stumped as to how he died...
Photo Credit: Leah Klafczynski/Akron Beacon Journal
buchtel students beautify vacant lot and soothe the soul (akron beacon journal, 06/07/17)
Students from Buchtel high school did more than just clean up a vacant lot Monday in the Roselawn/Excelsior section of Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood.
They planted hope...
Photo Credit: Tim Fitzwater Photography
county pushing state for help rehabbing blight (west side leader, 05/18/17)
Summit County Council would like to send a message to state legislators: They like they idea of a program that would provide grant funds to improve abandoned and blighted properties...
Soap Box Derby racer struck with rock thrown from nearby Rubber Bowl (akron beacon journal, may 9, 2017)
A Soap Box Derby racer suffered a concussion after being struck with a rock while riding her car last week at Derby Downs in Akron...
Photo Credit: Leah Klafczynski/Akron Beacon Journal
partners in the opiate crisis, and how the state could help (akron beacon journal, april 24, 2017)
Akron and Summit County win applause for the way public, private and nonprofit organizations have responded to the opioid epidemic...
Photo Credit: Leah Klafczynski/Akron Beacon Journal
deal could save summit county's largest transitional housing unit for drug-addicted men (akron beacon journal, april 18, 2017)
The city, county and quasi-private land bank have stepped in to stop the public sale and potential eviction of Summit County’s largest transitional housing unit for drug-addicted men...
Photo Credit: Tim Fitzwater Photography
With a decree from the IRS and ample funding, Summit County Land Bank is gearing up for a busy year (cRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, APRIL 9, 2017)
The Summit County Land bank has some ambitious plans for 2017 — and a new ruling from the IRS that should make it easier to secure property donations...
Photo Credit: Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal
SUMMIT COUNTY LAND BANK MOVES TO FORECLOSE ON RUBBER BOWL (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, APRIL 5, 2017)
The deteriorating Rubber Bowl could be rock ’n’ rolling if Akron rezones it for music concerts, a move its latest owners say would unleash millions of dollars in private investments from the other side of the country...
empty rubber bowl (akron beacon journal, april 8, 2017)
It’s getting very late in the game for the Rubber Bowl to make a comeback...Fortunately, the Summit County Land Bank recently has taken action to foreclose on the stadium...
Photo Credit: Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal
akron civic theatre to undergo another renovation (akron beacon journal, august 30, 2016)
The giant chandelier in the grand lobby of the Akron Civic Theatre is due for a polish. The downtown theater plans to use a $530,000 grant from the state and is seeking another $50,000 through the Summit County Land Bank...
Photo Credit: Eric Poston/The Surburbanite
summit county land bank looks to improve neighborhoods (suburbanite, july 10, 2016)
Nearly everyone has that one house in their neighborhood that likely is vacant and in possibly need of demolition. The Summit County Land Bank hopes to clean up...
abandoned gas station cleanup grant application opens august 8, 2016
The second competitive round of the Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Grant will be open Monday, August 8. The grant provides funding for local communities to assess and...
You-Pick orchard coming to akron's west hill
akron beacon journal, friday, august 12, 2016
A few years from now, you could be picking your own apples and peaches in an urban orchard less than a mile from downtown.
The West Akron Neighborhood Organization is...
university park alliance to notify remaining tenants that leases will be terminated; organization says it has no pathway forward
akron beacon journal, tuesday, august 2, 2016
University Park Alliance — the once strong neighborhood redevelopment group that’s been embroiled in a lawsuit for more than three years — is getting out of the rental business...
summit county land bank demolished first abandoned akron home
akron beacon journal, friday, december 11, 2016
Neighbors and community leaders gasped when they saw a fat raccoon waddling down the driveway after it came out of a house being torn down by the county...