On Jan. 17, 2013 the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance to create the Cook County Land Bank Authority to help return vacant and abandoned properties to productive use. Yesterday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced today the members of the Cook County Land Bank Authority’s Board of Directors.
The members of the Land Bank Authority Board of Director’s are:
- Bridget Gainer, Cook County Commissioner (D-10th)
- Jeffrey Sherwin, Mayor, Northlake
- Lawrence Grisham, Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development
- Herman Brewer, Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development:
- Calvin Holmes, Chicago Community Loan Fund
- Carl A. Jenkins, Harris N.A.
- Sarah L. Ware, The Carter Ware Group, Inc.
- Stephen Porras, Axia Development
- Emy Brawley, Openlands
- Julie Dworkin, Policy Director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
The Chicago Community Trust approved a $149,000 grant to underwrite start-up activities of the Cook County Land Bank Authority. The money will be used to recruiting staff, developing a business plan, creating program and operating policies and procedures, building a website, and other operational activities. It will also secured the costs of technical assistance provided by the Center for Community Progress (CCP), the premier land bank experts in the country.
The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development is preparing to submit a $20 million grant proposal to the Illinois Attorney General’s office for capital from the National Foreclosure Settlement to assist in funding the initial phases of the Land Bank Authority’s work.
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