Casey Council Transfers Vacant Lots to Central Illinois Land Bank Authority

Casey City Council Meeting | April 6, 2026

Article Summary: The City of Casey will transfer a pair of vacant, city-owned lots to the Central Illinois Land Bank Authority to facilitate future housing developments. The move shifts the administrative burden of preparing the properties for rehabilitation away from city staff while allowing the council to retain final veto power over who develops the land.

Land Bank Transfer Key Points:

• Ordinance #611 authorized the transfer of vacant lots at 105 NW 2nd and 107 NW 2nd to the Land Bank.

• The Land Bank will handle property inspections, environmental assessments, and developer recruitment.

• The city retains the ultimate authority to approve or reject the chosen developers and their proposed projects.

The Casey City Council on Monday, April 6, unanimously passed Ordinance #611, transferring a pair of vacant, city-owned residential lots to the Central Illinois Land Bank Authority for future housing development.

Economic Development Director Tom Daughhetee presented the ordinance, which covers two parcels located at 105 NW 2nd and 107 NW 2nd. The lots recently reverted back to city ownership.

By transferring the parcels to the Land Bank, the city effectively offloads the administrative legwork required to prep the land for resale and rehabilitation. Mayor Mike Nichols explained that the Land Bank will take the lead on securing inspections, checking for chemical contamination, and fielding proposals from prospective developers.

“It’s getting a little bit more of it out of our hands, so the Chief and Tracy [Willenborg] don’t have to do quite as much of it,” Nichols said.

However, the intergovernmental agreement ensures the City of Casey does not lose control over its neighborhoods. If the properties are deemed unsafe or unsalvageable, the city retains the right to order them destroyed rather than rehabbed. Furthermore, if multiple developers submit plans for a property, the Casey City Council holds the final authority to select the winning bid based on the city’s housing objectives.

The transfer falls into a broader effort to clean up blighted properties across Casey. During his closing report, Mayor Nichols revealed that an initial list of over 70 target properties tagged for demolition or code enforcement four years ago has been successfully whittled down to just 15 remaining structures.

“Most of those have got April court dates, so we could be close to the end,” Nichols said. He added that the city will save significant demolition costs moving forward, as a local family has offered to loan the city a track hoe to tear down the remaining structures.