A number of blighted Knox County properties may soon fall into the possession of Vincennes and Bicknell.
At their meeting Tuesday morning, the Knox County Commissioners approved the first reading of an agreement that would deed 17 properties over to the cities. Vincennes would take control of five properties, while Bicknell would take over 12. The properties currently sit on a list of properties set for a Commissioners Sale later this year.
The five Vincennes properties would fall into the control of the Vincennes Redevelopment Commission. Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum says that the end goal is to not only clean up the properties, but to get them back on a tax roll in the near future.
Bicknell Mayor Thomas Estabrook said that three of the properties the city would receive would fall into the Blight Elimination Program and others would be torn down under the city’s unsafe building ordinance.
President of the Knox County Commissioners Kellie Streeter says that the agreement to deed the properties to the city could be a win-win for all parties involved.
The second and third readings of the agreement are slated for the next Commissioners meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd. at 7 P-M.