By Mary Ellen Podmolik
The Cook County Board president’s office announced the members of an advisory committee that will help the board determine if and how a land bank could be structured to deal with distressed lots around the county.
The advisory committee is expected to complete an interim report for the board by late November and finalize details about how a land bank would work among stakeholders by year’s end, according to MarySue Barrett, president of the Metropolitan Planning Council, who chairs the advisory group.
“The inventory of vacant and delinquent properties and foreclosed and tax delinquent properties has obviously become a greater challenge,” Barrett said. “I think (the short time table) is appropriate, it keeps up focused. There are important debates to have about viable options.”
In addition to Barrett, the members of the Land Bank Advisory Committee are Marysue Barrett, president, Metropolitan Planning Council; Herman Brewer, chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development; Pam Daniels-Halisi, managing director, The Private Bank; Crain Mizushima, a senior vice president at US Bank; David Chandler, principal business analyst, Center for Neighborhood Technology; David Doig, president, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives; Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, president/CEO, Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action; Jeff Bartow, executive director, Southwest Organizing Project; Calvin Homes, president, Chicago Community Loan Fund; Julia Stasch, a vice president at MacArthur Foundation; Julie Dworkin, policy director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; Rich Monocchio, executive director, Housing Authority of Cook County; William Goldsmith, president, Mercy Portfolio Services; Lavon Johns, Pugh, Jones & Johnson, P.C.; Kathleen Ransford, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer; Jeff Sherwin, Northlake mayor and chairman, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Housing and Community Development Committee; Gene Williams, mayor of Lynwood; Mary Kenney, executive director, Illinois Housing Development Authority; Rich Sciortino, principal, Brinshore Development LLC; and Michael Jasso, managing deputy commissioner, Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development.