Erie County is hoping it will be one of the five communities across the state to be approved for creation of a so-called land bank.
The County's application was dashed off to Albany Friday, according to County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
A landbank would address and hopefully help to remedy a steadily - growing problem of vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties.
"The county's department of real tax services determine there is an excess of 73,000 tax liens county-wide, which have a true value of $53.5 million in taxes owed. For years we have had difficulty in collecting on these taxes and as a result end up with vacant property," said Poloncarz.
Poloncarz, flanked by a number of mayors and town supervisors Friday as he announced the county filed the application.
City, town and county officials call this a regional problem needing a regional solution.
County Executive Poloncarz expressed confidence the state will approve the application.