About the Prairie Hills Land Bank Authority
Prairie Hills is leading the effort to form a new land bank to serve the west central Illinois region. This page explains what a land bank is, how it can help our region, and what we are doing to make the land bank a reality. If you would like to get more information or get involved, contact us!
Email: director@prairiehillsrcd.org
Phone: 309-833-4747
Email: director@prairiehillsrcd.org
Phone: 309-833-4747
What is a Land Bank?
A land bank is a single-purpose entity formed by local governments to address problem properties. Think of it as a specialist whose only job is to address properties that are vacant, abandoned, tax delinquent, or physically deteriorated and get them back to productive reuse. Most of our communities have properties like these. Getting them back into productive use can be complicated, time consuming, and beyond the capacity of local governments who already have their hands full. Across the US, there are nearly 300 land banks.
By pooling resources and using a land bank, local governments can ensure problem properties are addressed responsibly by someone whose only job is dealing with those sorts of properties. A land bank formed this way is operated by and on behalf of local governments. It has a governing board that retains control over the properties and funds entrusted to the land bank. Each member specifically controls what the land bank can do in that member’s community. This ensures local control and adherence to local plans and preferences. In return, the land bank and its staff help bring expertise, new resources, and capacity to bear for their member governments. In most cases, a land bank can generate new revenues, reduce municipal costs spent on problem properties, and benefit community quality of life and vitality.
By pooling resources and using a land bank, local governments can ensure problem properties are addressed responsibly by someone whose only job is dealing with those sorts of properties. A land bank formed this way is operated by and on behalf of local governments. It has a governing board that retains control over the properties and funds entrusted to the land bank. Each member specifically controls what the land bank can do in that member’s community. This ensures local control and adherence to local plans and preferences. In return, the land bank and its staff help bring expertise, new resources, and capacity to bear for their member governments. In most cases, a land bank can generate new revenues, reduce municipal costs spent on problem properties, and benefit community quality of life and vitality.
Work to Date
In 2024, Prairie Hills retained eProperty Innovations, a nationally recognized consultant, to conduct a land bank feasibility study with grant support from the Kansas State Brownfield Technical Assistance Program. Our objective was to determine if a land bank could be beneficial to our 5-county west central Illinois region. The study revealed a land bank could help to address the vacant property situation, especially if different municipalities and agencies coordinated their efforts to maximum effect. The consultant recommended a land bank be formed of county and municipal members, have a minimum staff to get started, and be funded with contributions from members that are commensurate to their population size.
In 2025, we continued meeting with local leaders to develop a governance framework for a new land bank. We are modeling our land bank on successful land banks in the state. In addition to our consultant, we are assisted with pro bono help from Denzin Law LLC, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in land bank operations and governance, and Teska Associates, a nationally recognized planning firm with broad expertise in community and economic development planning. Both firms are provided pro bono to local governments through the Illinois Housing Development Authority and its Land Bank Technical Assistance Program. For now, we propose to house the land bank at Prairie Hills, though it would operate and be governed independently of our organization.
Keep checking this page for updates as we move through the process of formalizing our inter-governmental agreement. We hope to launch the Prairie Hills Land Bank Authority sometime in Spring 2025 and to begin operations soon after!
In 2025, we continued meeting with local leaders to develop a governance framework for a new land bank. We are modeling our land bank on successful land banks in the state. In addition to our consultant, we are assisted with pro bono help from Denzin Law LLC, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in land bank operations and governance, and Teska Associates, a nationally recognized planning firm with broad expertise in community and economic development planning. Both firms are provided pro bono to local governments through the Illinois Housing Development Authority and its Land Bank Technical Assistance Program. For now, we propose to house the land bank at Prairie Hills, though it would operate and be governed independently of our organization.
Keep checking this page for updates as we move through the process of formalizing our inter-governmental agreement. We hope to launch the Prairie Hills Land Bank Authority sometime in Spring 2025 and to begin operations soon after!
Know of a Property Needing our Help?
Is there a problem property or site in your community that you think the land bank can help improve?