Land Bank Goes To Work On Flint

Two years ago Katherine Alaimo bought a well-maintained 2,200 sq.-ft. Victorian-era house on Lyon Street, 5 blocks north of Carriage Town in downtown Flint, from a bank for a price she would never find in East Lansing — $14,000. Then she bought six abandoned lots on the same street, at prices ranging from $50 to $200. There’s a method to Dr. Alaimo’s approach, thanks to legislation that reflects some of the recommendations made in August of 2003 by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm’s Michigan Land Use Leadership Council. The legislation, known as the Land Bank Fast Track Authority, allows people like Dr. Alaimo to acquire abandoned property more quickly. It also enable township, city, and county governments to assemble and redevelop large amounts of long-abandoned property. Because Genesee County, where Flint is located, has been so aggressive in grafting that fast track legislation onto its already-active efforts at reclaiming abandoned land, Dr. Alaimo’s investments make a great deal more sense than most people think.