Lorain County has compiled a hit list of 135 houses as the county this year looks to resume demolition of derelict homes that hurt the value of neighborhoods.

The Lorain County Land Reutilization Corp., also known as the county land bank, acquired 135 units by a March 31 deadline to qualify for about $3 million of demolition funding available through the Ohio Housing Finance Agencys Neighborhood Initiative Program.

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer estimated about 100 of those units are in the city of Lorain, with many in the central area and South Lorain. He called the action monumental and a huge step forward for getting rid of the vacant houses in Lorain.

The board of the Lorain County Land Reutilization Corp., held a meeting March 31 for an update on continuing efforts to acquire and demolish rundown homes in the county.

Land bank board members include Lorain County Commissioners Lori Kokoski, Ted Kalo and Matt Lundy; county Treasurer Daniel Talarek; and Ritenauer. They heard from county staff including Lorain County Administrator James Cordes; Lorain County Port Authority Director Patrick Metzger, who serves as administrator of the land bank; and Lorain County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Pyanowski.

Cordes said the county staff were wildly successful in acquiring titles to the properties that eventually will meet wrecking crews.

As of March 31, the land bank acquired 89 properties to demolish around the county; among those 89, about 59 are in Lorain.

The same day, Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass signed an agreement for the estate of the late George Schneider to convey 46 parcels to the county land bank instead of having the county foreclose on the homes. Of those, 41 are in Lorain.

Based on the county actions, it appears another 100 dilapidated houses are due to come down in Lorain, Ritenauer said.

The mayor said the result is part of the reason he pushed for creation of the county land bank once he took office, because it allows Lorain County to pursue legal actions and grant money to demolish houses that devalue neighborhood.

Schneider died of a heart attack at home in September 2014. He was known as the owner of dozens of rental properties around Lorain and occasionally he butted heads with city officials over the conditions of his properties.

It appeared many of the Schneider homes were boarded up and not necessarily producing income, Snodgrass said. Tearing down the homes eventually may lead to parcels getting back on the tax rolls if new owners take over the parcels, he said.

The agreement to transfer the property also will wipe out a total of $86,249.78 in delinquent taxes owed on the Schneider properties.

In the land bank meeting, Lundy, Kalo and Kokoski also praised the efforts of staff to assemble the parcels for possession by the March 31 deadline. Afterward, Snodgrass agreed.

Its been a good cooperative effort, Snodgrass said. Its government working together. Ultimately this is going to best serve the public. It helps the stability of the neighborhood, it helps the values (of neighboring properties).

The vacant houses can become health hazards due to unsanitary conditions; they also may attract people doing illegal activities or catch fire, all of which drains public resources due to responses by police and firefighters, Snodgrass said.

Its tough to kind of quantify some of that, but theres definitely a value there, said Snodgrass, who also is a former Lorain city councilman. So this is certainly a good step in the right direction, I think, for the city.

In 2013, the land bank used money available through Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWines Office to tear down hundreds of homes in the city of Lorain and other communities.

The county and its community officials were aggressive then in their efforts to bid out the jobs and get demolition crews out into the neighborhoods. With the latest money from OHFA, Ritenauer said he hopes to bid out the jobs and get houses torn down in summer 2015.

We spent that money very quickly, we intend to do the same here, Ritenauer said about the former and current demolition money. One hundred properties is a lot of work to be done and I want to get more than that done.

Once the homes are demolished, the work of the land bank is not finished.

Cordes reminded the board it needs a strategy for constructive ways to reuse the land, possibly selling it to neighboring property owners, instead of owning numerous parcels around the county. Talarek and Lundy agreed.

Redevelopment is critical because we dont want empty lots sitting out there, Lundy said.