Our work does not end after the demolition of a blighted property. The Cuyahoga Land Bank works diligently to find new land reuses for the vacant land. One of its most successful and popular programs includes the sale of those vacant properties as “side yards.” Hundreds of Cuyahoga County home and business owners who live or do business next to a vacant lot owned by the Cuyahoga Land Bank have taken advantage of the Side Yard Program. Side Yard purchasers have utilized vacant land in resourceful and imaginative ways, including planting gardens, adding home additions, building a new driveway or garage, business expansion, or simple yard expansion for children and pets. Vacant lots are offered at a significant discount to eligible home or business owners.
Photo: Zanita Drake-Rogers purchased the vacant lot next to her home in Garfield Heights through the Cuyahoga Land Bank’s Side Yard Program and transformed it into a beautifully landscaped space. “I feel like I have the best-looking house on the street now,” says Drake-Rogers.