The Michigan State Housing Development Authority has awarded an addition $2.6 million to the Genesee County Land Bank to help carry out the demolition of 225 blighted properties in the Civic Park neighborhood.

MSHDA Acting-Executive Director Wayne Workman said the "new funds will allow strategic demolitions in Civic Park that will aid in the preservation of the entire neighborhood for generations to come."

The new funds are in addition to the $20.1 million in Hardest Hit funds the Land Bank received in 2013 to go towards the demolition or maintaining of 1,600 vacant and blighted properties already in public ownership. The Land Bank is on target to meet the funding award goals with more than 560 blighted properties improved, an additional 343 in the process and 701 being prepared for demolition and greening.

Deborah Cherry, Genesee County Treasurer and Chairperson of the Land Bank, said "the Hardest Hit Fund has enabled the Land Bank to make the single largest investment in blight elimination that this community has seen yet."

Despite its status as one of the areas most devastated by disinvestment - nearly halp of all the properties in the historic neighborhood are owned by the Land Bank - the Civic Park neighborhood has begun to see the beginnings of a neighborhood revitalization fueled by the City of Flint Master Plan and investments by the residents and Flint-based organizations.

More From WFNT