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Program passed by Akron City Council to help clean up blight

The program will require owners to register with the city, and submit a plan to renovate, secure or demolish blighted properties.

Akron is one step closer to cleaning up dilapidated buildings.

On Monday night, city council passed legislation to create a Vacant Building Registration (VBR) program.

The new law, modeled after those in cities like Sandusky, Cincinnati, and Youngstown, will require owners of vacant commercial or industrial buildings to register with the city, keep the properties secure and well-lit, and submit a plan to renovate, secure or demolish the structure.

Fines will be issued if any of those requirements are not met.

“The benefits of this program are countless—it will remove blight, reduce crime, stabilize neighborhoods, increase property values, help foster economic development, and improve the safety of our citizens and our first responders,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a statement. “In several years, the goal is to see significantly fewer vacant commercial buildings in Akron because they are either reoccupied with new businesses or safely demolished to make room for new, productive uses that add value to our city.”

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