Blight to Bright is a coordinated effort to take abandoned, tax-delinquent properties and return them to productive use through legal foreclosure and redevelopment. The goal is simple: fix what has been neglected and stabilize neighborhoods faster.

Under Ohio Revised Code 1.08, a parcel is considered blighted if it meets specific criteria, including being officially designated as unfit for habitation, posing an environmental health risk, or having tax delinquencies exceeding the property value. Alternatively, a parcel is blighted if it meets two or more conditions that negatively impact surrounding property values or code compliance, such as dilapidation, obsolescence, or poor sanitary conditions.

Expedited foreclosure is a legal process in Ohio that allows abandoned, tax-delinquent properties to move through foreclosure faster than the traditional sheriff sale process. Instead of multiple auctions, the property CAN be transferred through the Board of Revisions to the Land Bank for redevelopment.

No. This program does not target occupied homes. Properties must be legally determined to be abandoned and tax delinquent. Owners are given multiple notices and opportunities to respond.

Yes. Ohio law requires: • Certified mail notice • Court filings • Public notice Owners have the opportunity to redeem the property or contest the foreclosure.

Ohio courts have upheld foreclosure on abandoned, tax-delinquent properties even when equity exists. When properties are abandoned and taxes go unpaid, the public already bears the cost through safety risks, declining property values, and municipal expenses.

Traditional foreclosure: often 12 to 18+ months. Expedited foreclosure: often 6 to 9 months Time is critical in preventing further deterioration.

The Land Bank: • Secures the property • Evaluates condition • Transfers it to a vetted developer Developers must meet expectations for improvement and timelines.

Developers are vetted and approved. All project bundles will be listed on the Marion County Land Bank website. Developers can apply for each bundle. They are not random buyers and are expected to follow redevelopment standards set by the Land Bank.

In many cases, delinquent taxes are not fully recovered. However, these are often taxes that would not be collected otherwise due to prolonged abandonment. In many cases, it is more beneficial long term to clear the tax debt and return the property to productive use, restoring value to the neighborhood and putting the home back into the hands of a responsible owner.

Many properties in this program have already been abandoned for years with no action from the owner. Waiting further typically leads to demolition or worsening conditions. Resulting in no tax recovery and an expensive demolition bill.

Clustering properties allows developers to create real, visible neighborhood impact, making projects more efficient, more financially viable, and far more effective than scattered, one-off rehabs. This allows developers to renovate properties that otherwise would not be feasible in a one-off scenario.

• Reduce blight • Improve safety • Increase property values • Create usable housing

This is not: • A land grab • A shortcut around the law • A way to take occupied homes Every step follows Ohio law.