Westmoreland Land Bank amps up effort to sell vacant properties

Formerly vacant properties could soon be on the market in Westmoreland County.

The county’s land bank, the agency responsible for collecting and rehabilitating properties, has put out a call for private Realtors as part of an effort to amp up sales that officials say will help pay for the next round of purchases and rehabilitation projects.

The agency has more than 100 small vacant properties in its inventory available for sale.

“These are tough to market,” said land bank Executive Director Brian Lawrence. “What we really want to do is give these properties the best chance for a new life.”

The land bank, created a decade ago to oversee the county’s blight removal efforts, acquires properties through sales, tax auctions, donations and court actions. It, along with the Westmoreland County Redevelopment Authority, administers the county’s demolition and restoration of blighted properties with a goal of returning them to the tax rolls.

Since its inception in 2013, the land bank has sold more than 200 parcels. The agency owns 140 properties earmarked for sale, including multiple vacant lots in urban settings such as Monessen, Jeannette, New Kensington, Latrobe and Greensburg.

Lawrence said internal staff efforts to market the vacant properties have been limited and included attempts to contact neighbors to gauge interest in a potential purchase. Realtors, he said, will be able to reach a wider range of potential buyers to market the properties for potential construction of single-family homes or a small business.

“About 75% of our operating revenues come from property sales. That’s the largest source of revenue we have for us to keep the lights on,” Lawrence said.

The land bank is seeking applications from Realtors through Aug. 8.

Larger industrial sites owned by the land bank, including the former Fort Pitt Brewery in Jeannette and the Newport Business Institute property in Lower Burrell, will be marketed separately by the land bank.

The brewery site is among the largest rehabilitation projects underway by the land bank, which purchased the property in 2022. Demolition and cleanup at the West Jeannette site are nearing completion with an environmental study in the works to prepare for the potential marketing of the parcel.