Land Bank to hold open house of revamped properties 

The Dublin-Laurens Land Bank Authority is celebrating two wins in helping revitalize properties in the city of Dublin with open houses this week. 

Newly restored and updated houses at 312 Arch St. and 810 N. Church St. will be on display Wednesday at 9 a.m., starting at the Arch Street property.

“We’ll talk a little bit, let people look around and then go to the other location,” said Clift Crews, the CEO of the authority. “We’ll have the before pictures so people will be able to see how it has changed. It’s pretty amazing.” 

The land bank authority is a quasi-governmental body that manages vacated and abandoned houses and properties seized due to unpaid taxes. The authority, overseen by an appointed board, is funded by the Laurens County and city of Dublin governments. Called blighted properties, such spaces are a burden to the local tax digest and neighborhoods, driving down land values and discouraging investment. 

The group works to find new buyers for the blighted sites willing to properly maintain the properties or provide low-income housing. The Arch Street and North Church Street properties were purchased and renovated by Purple Dog Properties, a local property management firm. 

“These are two properties that we’ve been able to put in the hands of someone who made them habitable,” Crews said. “It is increasing the quality of housing for the neighborhood.” 

Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight called the authority a “central part” of the city’s housing strategy. 

“Our older neighborhoods have houses that are outdated, gone to estate or have fallen to disrepair,” he said. “The land bank is the organization to help facilitate restoration of our intown neighborhoods.” 

City officials have recently taken a multipronged approach to improving local neighborhoods by investing in everything from public safety to parks and green spaces. Kight is no stranger to the land bank authority, having served with the group before helming the city. 

The land bank holds the authority to void past due tax bills and work with the court to clear land titles, tasks and expenses that are typically avoided by investors and property developers. The authority can also work with developers to ensure lower income neighborhoods have access to affordable housing. 

“The city is required to hold a public sale and take the highest price offered for whatever they want to do,” Kight said. “The land bank can negotiate with developers for specific goals. That tool is very effective in our goal in providing affordable housing.”

Crews said the land bank currently has about 80 properties in the city and county. Arch Street, a short residential road in Dublin’s south side, has seen the work of the land bank authority before. The property at 310 Arch St. was sold by the body in 2021. 

“When you look at Arch Street, it’s a good-looking street,” Crews said. “There are good houses with good property owners. That’s the way it should be.”