Macon-Bibb County
LAND BANK AUTHORITY, INC.
GEORGIA PLANNING ASSOCIATION
2013 FALL CONFERENCE
JEKYLL ISLAND, GEORGIA
OCTOBER 9, 2013
ALISON SOUTHER GOLDEY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The City of Macon, Bibb County, Georgia
 Population of the City of Macon:
91,000
 Population of City and Bibb Co:
156,500
 Housing Units (2010-11):
42,794/69,272
 Vacant Housing Units (Macon):
9,135
 A large inventory of vacant, dilapidated and tax
delinquent properties in the inner city
 Increasing Blight
Strong Partnerships
 City of Macon: Economic & Community
Development Department/Code Enforcement
 Bibb County
 Macon Housing Authority/In-Fill Inc.
 Mercer University
 Non Profit Developers: Habitat for Humanity &
Others
 Tax Commissioner
Where Do We Start?
 The Partners evaluated five (5) different areas in the
inner city that were designated as target areas
 Each area contained large inventories of
abandoned/vacant property with little market value
 SWOT Analysis- Identified strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats in each neighborhood
 Redevelopment Plans for Neighborhoods funded by City
 Focused on the areas where we could make a huge
impact and develop a model to continue in other
neighborhoods
Unique Challenges in Inner City
Neighborhoods

Disinvestment has occurred over decades

Code enforcement can’t keep up

Crime/drugs, etc., or. . . .

The image of crime/drugs, etc.

The erosion of the middle class

The preponderance of renters

The breakdown of institutions
Properties aren’t always easily obtainable

Owners can’t be found, or

Owners can be found but don’t have clear title, or

Owners can be found and they have clear title, but they
want to hold on to property

Neighborhood redevelopment fails when we just get the
properties that no one else wants

The importance of critical mass

Hard lessons learned the hard way
Land Bank Mission
 Our mission is to acquire properties that are
underutilized, blighted, tax delinquent and return
them to a productive use status
 Concentrate on properties that can be turned over
and redeveloped in a relatively short period of time,
not on holding properties with little redevelopment
potential
Land Bank Role
 Acquisition Agency for developers
 Manage all aspects of acquisition process
 Title Reports
 Appraisals
 Surveys
 Relocation
 Negotiations
 Requesting foreclosures on tax delinquent properties
 Forgiving property taxes
 Transfer properties with clear title
 Monitoring redevelopment
Accomplishments
 Acquired over 430 properties
 Hold around 100 properties at any given time
 80% of the properties have been put back into a
productive use status
 Partner resource for over $20 million in inner-city
revitalization
Prince Street Before
Prince Street Before
Prince Street- After
Critical Mass is important
in neighborhood
revitalization
We worked Street by
Street and 40 new homes
were constructed in this
neighborhood
Prince Street-After
Bowman Street Before
Bowman Street Before
•
•
•
•
•
Thirteen Properties Acquired
Partnership with River Edge Behavioral Health Center & City of Macon
Permanent Supportive Housing for persons with disabilities
Funding: NSP 1 and NSP 3
$1.1 Million HUD Section 811 Housing Grant
Bowman Street After
Bowman Street After
Attract Private Developers
Neighborhood Gardens & Tree Nursery
Macon-Bibb County
Land Bank Authority, Inc.
Executive Director
Alison Souther Goldey
asouther@maconhousing.com
Board of Directors
Bert Bivins, III
Tom Ellington
Charles O’Neal, Jr.
Jeffery Monroe
682 Cherry Street, Suite 300
P.O. Box 6116
Macon, GA 31208
478-741-9005
1-877-293-4714