About Us

In 2009, the Ohio General Assembly passed Ohio Senate Bill 353, giving county land banks the tools required to address blight and dilapidation in their respective communities. This led to the formation of Ohio’s first county land bank, the Cuyahoga Land Bank. 

The Athens County Land Reutilization Corporation, or Land Bank, formed in 2018 to address the issue of blight and dilapidation throughout Athens County. By seeking ownership and redevelopment of vacant, tax delinquent, and blighted properties, the Land Bank has the potential to serve as one significant tool in the economic toolbox available to county and regional leaders. To put it simply, we aim to transform deteriorated or abandoned properties into something beneficial for their communities. Some of our methods include demolishing dilapidated houses and selling the property as green space or land for a new build, getting structures that could be renovated into the hands of folks who can do so, cleaning up potential environmental hazards, and more, all while having these previously delinquent properties once again contributing to the tax base.

Like many rural land banks, the Athens County Land Bank is a small but hard working non-profit organization. We have two full-time employees and a governing Board of Directors made up of five board members. Our actions are community-oriented and often accompanied by work with many Athens County and regional organizations.

Mission Statement

The Athens County Land Bank revitalizes Athens County by promoting and facilitating the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, or other real property. 

We do this in order to:

• Improve the quality of neighborhoods
• Increase land values
• Create diverse housing opportunities
• Return properties to the tax rolls

Vision Statement

The Athens County Land Bank envisions a thriving Athens County with diverse affordable housing opportunities free of blight.