Uplands land bank turns vacant properties into redevelopment sites

The Uplands Regional Land Bank said it has acquired 17 vacant, abandoned or deteriorated properties over the past three years, and it is already pushing three back into private ownership while 14 more move through its sale pipeline. For nearby communities, that is more than cleanup: it is a housing supply and tax-base strategy meant to turn damaged parcels into usable land again.

Director Bobbie Abel said the land bank starts by looking at whether a structure can be salvaged. If it cannot, the organization demolishes the building, clears the site and prepares it for redevelopment, a process designed to make properties shovel-ready for the next owner. The land bank says that approach helps move vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties back into productive use rather than leaving them to drag on surrounding blocks.

The current update shows 11 properties are for sale across the region, with one additional property pending sale in Daviess County. Another parcel is being donated to the French Lick Redevelopment Commission for extra green space at The Parks at Cherry Hill, while a site on SR 558 in Odon is being prepared for future redevelopment. Those moves point to two different outcomes for blighted land: some parcels can be returned to the market, while others can be repurposed for public space or a new project.

The land bank was created to address blighted, dilapidated and unsafe housing in Crawford, Daviess, Greene, Lawrence, Martin and Orange counties, and its website says it targets properties that negatively affect surrounding property values. That makes its work relevant beyond the county line. A January 2026 report said the organization was already working on workforce-housing opportunities and had three properties for sale at the time, suggesting the pipeline has expanded since then.

Environmental barriers remain a major part of the equation, which is why the land bank’s partnerships matter. It has worked with CFDI Friendly Bloomington and Indiana Brownfields’ Petroleum Orphan Sites Initiative to handle environmental study, demolition, remediation and redevelopment preparation. The Indiana Brownfields Program says that initiative helps communities deal with petroleum contamination from leaking underground storage tanks when no responsible party can pay for cleanup, and it can provide financial assistance for assessment, remediation and demolition tied to brownfield work.

For Dubois County readers, the immediate sites are regional, but the payoff could spill west. If the model keeps moving vacant land into homes, green space and development-ready lots, it could help neighboring communities strengthen property values and make future redevelopment easier to finance.