Committee transfers property to land bank By: Jimmy McCarthy

From the Dunkirk Observer

The property, located at 62 N. Martin St. in Dunkirk, was pulled from the tax foreclosure auction in 2015 for the purposes of the land bank to facilitate the demolition of the structure.

However, the property received interest from several parties to purchase and rehabilitate. Consultation with the city of Dunkirk Code Enforcement Office found the property could be rehabilitated. James Caflisch, director of the Chautauqua County Real Property Tax Office, said a party forwarded an informal proposal to the land bank.

"We believe that the best opportunity to see this property get fixed and rehabilitated would be in the land bank's discretion," Caflisch said. "We have a structure there that will be rehabilitated and will go on the tax roll."

Mark Geise, executive director of the land bank, said the corporation would clean, secure, appraise and market the property.

"We know we have two people that are interested; maybe we can get more," Geise said. "The Acquisition & Disposition Committee would review those proposals, see what's in the best interest of the county and choose a proposal from there."