What’s happening: The Oakland County Land Bank Authority has announced its first foray into community development and revitalization. Aided by a $200,000 grant from the State of Michigan Land Bank Authority Blight Elimination Program, the nascent economic development group will soon acquire and stabilize three vacant single-family residential properties in Pontiac’s General Motors Modern Historic District for future development.
A Request for Proposals for qualified developers is open until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, and available online
via Bidnet Direct.
Who they are: It was July 2022 when Oakland County announced the launch of the
Oakland County Land Bank Authority (OCLBA), an economic development and community revitalization tool created by Oakland County Treasurer Robert Wittenberg in partnership with the State Land Bank Authority (SLBA), the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, and the Oakland County Executive Office.
Why it’s important: “As the Oakland County Land Bank Authority’s first community development project, we are pleased to support the ongoing revitalization of the GM Modern Historic District,” Wittenberg says in a statement. “We appreciate the partnership and support of the State Land Bank Authority in providing much-needed funding to address vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties and helping us stabilize the properties for future development.”
A little bit of history: The General Motors Modern Historic District is located near downtown Pontiac off Perry Street between Montcalm and Glenwood Avenues. The 61-acre neighborhood consists of 261 homes characterized by their brick or stucco exteriors, slate roofs, oak flooring and windows, and plaster interiors. General Motors built the homes for its workers and their families between the years 1919 and 1926.
[
Related: Read “Pontiac neighbors seek new beginning for General Motors historic district” on Metromode.]
What they’re saying: “As the Chair of the Pontiac Historic District Commission, we are delighted that the Oakland County Land Bank Authority has chosen to stabilize these important houses in GM Modern Historic District,” says Rick David. “Preserving history helps provide that sense of place we are all hoping to call home. This neighborhood and the City of Pontiac have a very bright future.”
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