CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County’s Redevelopment Authority has been given approval to operate as a ”land bank” for the county. Such a move has been considered and discussed for the past 10 years, but it became a reality Tuesday at the Board of Commissioners meeting.
A land bank is used to facilitate the return of vacant, abandoned, or tax-delinquent properties to productive use.
Since the county’s Redevelopment Authority was re-activated in 2020, the boroughs of Clearfield, Curwensville, Mahaffey, and Coalport; as well as Lawrence, Bigler, Boggs, and Morris townships have been assisted with their vacant or blighted properties. Four of those properties have been sold to private individuals or developers, and are now back on the tax base.
It’s estimated that there are more than 300 vacant or blighted properties in the county that are delinquent on taxes.
Under land bank law, the Redevelopment Authority has a greater ability to acquire more properties, clear titles, and then market a clean property.
The move comes with no financial cost to the county since the Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank will continue to operate on grant funding, plus the proceeds from sales and leases.
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