Two council members create land bank legislation for Philadelphia

In a move to coordinate Philadelphia’s efforts to handle its use and management of vacant land, two City Council members have introduced legislation to move toward creating a city land bank.

Introduced today by at-large Councilman Bill Green and 7th District Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, the is the first step in forming a land bank to “acquire, hold, and dispose of all surplus publicly-owned land.” The move is definitely an early one, as the legislation wouldn’t take affect until state legislation to authorize municipal land banks is passed.

A joint statement from Green and Sanchez says of the approximately 40,000 parcels of vacant land in the city, between 9,000 and 12,000 are controlled by government agencies.

“With this legislation, we intend to hold a series of community-based hearings and forums that will shape the mission and structure of this land bank,” Sanchez said in the release.

The bill would grant seek authorization from the Pennsylvania General Assembly for things like appointments, powers and duties.