AUSTINTOWN — The Mahoning County Land Bank has completed renovation of an Austintown house once deemed a “nuisance” and has placed it up for sale.

Austintown Township had declared the 1,864-square-foot, split-level home at 4942 Signature Circle a nuisance long before a sheriff’s sale drew no interested buyers, and the township zoning inspector suggested transferring it to the land bank for renovation.

“We’re glad the township thought of us as a helpful resource in restoring this home,” said Debora Flora, the land bank’s executive director, “Years ago, we did a small handful of these rehabilitation projects, but in more recent years, we’ve been focused on demolitions and greening projects. This renovation marked our return to this kind of work – referred to as our Market Rehabilitation Program.”

The land bank staff and contractors replaced the ceilings; installed new flooring; replaced the cabinets and hardware in the kitchen; restored and added on to the walk-out deck; added a new heating, ventilating and air conditioning system; and more.

“We were able to see the transformation firsthand from start to finish,” said Roger Smith, director of planning, acquisition and disposition. “Typically, we acquire properties and then our qualified owner-occupants or investors rehab them. With our Market Rehab Program, we’re the ones doing the renovation and can see it through each step of the way.”

The land bank expects to renovate more houses in the years ahead as funding for housing demolitions becomes less available. Ohio’s Neighborhood Initiative Program, which has supported 1,100 demolitions in Mahoning County and tens of thousands across the state in recent years, is expected to end next year.

The land bank finished its last NIP-funded demolition earlier this fall.

“We expect to see a shift from demolitions to more renovation work and greening strategies,” Flora said. “Our mission has always been to acquire vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent properties and make them productive spaces again through restoration and repurposing efforts, and what better way to do so than making a house a home for another family.”

For more information, or to view additional details on 4942 Signature Circle, visit http://mahoninglandbank .com/buy-renovate-a-house.

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