MOUNT VERNON — Work is progressing on the Columbus Road joint housing project between the Knox County Land Bank and Habitat for Humanity.
According to land bank vice president Sam Filkins, the house at 47 Columbus Road is a traditional stick-built and is coming along well.
Knox County Career Center students are helping build the house at 61 Columbus Road and learning the construction technique of building with concrete walls.
“Basically they’re Lego pieces made out of Styrofoam insulation. The concrete will go in between the Styrofoam, and it’ll be a house that will last longer than we will be here,” Filkins explained to land bank board members on Friday.
The land bank and Habitat will hold a kickoff event at 61 Columbus Road on Monday, Oct. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. to celebrate the joint housing project.
Officials attending include the director of Ohio’s Department of Development and representatives of Lt. Governor Jon Husted, the Ohio Concrete Association, and the National Ready Mix Foundation.
The event features a variation of the traditional “topping out” ceremony.
“The idea is that everyone will sign one of those blocks on the concrete house. Since the concrete house will be there forever, then you will forever be part of that legacy,” Filkins told the board.
18 E. Vine St.
Construction is underway at 18 E. Vine St. Officials held the first weekly construction meeting last Wednesday.
“This week, they’ve been mostly building up their office space, doing demolition, that kind of thing,” Filkins said.
One of the two Mount Vernon News signs will go to the Knox County Historical Museum, and the other will go to the Culbertson family, the newspaper’s long-time owners.
200 Pittsburgh Ave.
The land bank acquired 200 Pittsburgh Ave. in May. The initial plan was to demolish the house.
However, after Filkins and land bank board member Tyler Griffith walked through the structure, Griffith said, “It’s got potential. I think someone will want it.”
“We talked about whether it would be more attractive with everything gone and it’s a vacant commercial lot or whether to remove the junk around it and keep the cute house there,” Filkins said.
“It could be an office, it could be a rental while you decide what you do with it, because you basically have a whole other side parcel there,” Griffith said.
Filkins will gauge interest in the property over the next 30 days. The land bank must use the demolition money by the end of the year.
404 N. Sandusky St.
The land bank is in contract to buy 404 N. Sandusky St. Filkins anticipates closing on the property by the end of the month.
Miscellaneous land bank activities
The Knox County Land Bank will host the inaugural Rural Land Bank Summit on Oct. 3 at The Woodward Opera House.
Eighty-five are registered thus far, with 21 arriving on Oct. 2 and staying at The Grand Hotel. Activities include a social hour on Oct. 2 at Baxter’s, lunch at The Alcove, and a happy hour after the conference at Bickerdyke Table & Tap.
“In a shout-out to our other partners, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Grand, and Experience Mount Vernon are putting together welcome packets for the folks that are staying at The Grand with maps of downtown, the area, and green spaces,” Filkins said.
“Hopefully if somebody visits they might see something and say ‘hey, maybe we should come back and do that; this was a really cute place.’”
Jeffry Harris of Bricker & Graydon is the keynote speaker. Harris was instrumental in organizing Knox County’s land bank.
Breakout sessions fill the remainder of the day.
“This is geared for rural and emerging land banks,” Filkins explained. “A lot of new land banks might not realize all the things you can do with this type of organization.”
•Filkins provided state officials with information on two potential brownfield projects. The state should announce the grant recipients in October.
•The Ohio Land Bank Association invited Filkins to join its board of directors through 2026. He is one of two from rural counties. The OLBA now has 68 counties represented.
•Vibrant Communities Grant: Filkins will present the 18 E. Vine St. project to Jobs Ohio on Oct. 1.
Heartland Commerce Park
Crews completed Phase 1 of the water line project at the commerce park. Using American Rescue Plan Act money, the city reimbursed the land bank 100% — more than the original agreement.
Phase 2, from the powerhouse in HCP to Burgess Street, is also complete. Jeff Gottke, land bank president, said it would likely be 100% covered, too.
Workers sowed grass seed in the plaza area and finished the pillars and infrastructure. The remaining work includes the large group meeting area (an amphitheater style), installing outdoor workstations, and planting shade trees.
