September 18, 2025
The City of Hornell is proud to highlight the strong collaboration and partnership of the Steuben
County Land Bank Corporation (Land Bank) to improve quality of life and revitalize
neighborhoods throughout the City. Recently, through bidding in the Steuben County Tax
Foreclosure Auction, the Land Bank acquired the property at 8 O’Connor Avenue with plans to
rehabilitate the single-family home.
Mayor John Buckley noted, “This property acquisition is a little different as the plan is to
rehabilitate the property. This home is in a nice neighborhood, has a solid structure and off-
street parking, and will add value to O’Connor Avenue. I would like to thank Chris Brewer, who
leads the Land Bank, and all members of the team who continue to work with us to improve
communities across the county, including Hornell.”
Steuben Deputy County Manager and Executive Director of the Land Bank Chris Brewer said,
“The Land Bank and our partners at Arbor Development are excited to get started on this
rehabilitation project within the City of Hornell. It is always nice to breathe new life into a
property and be a part of its transformation from a vacant, run-down property to a beautiful new
home.”
Over the years, many properties acquired by the Land Bank were in poor condition, creating
nuisance and blight for surrounding neighborhoods. Once the Land Bank is able to assume
ownership, they can move forward with demolishing unsafe structures or rehabilitating existing
homes, ultimately returning parcels to productive use.
Mayor Buckley further highlighted the impact of this ongoing partnership, saying, “Since 2018,
the Land Bank has demolished seven properties in the City of Hornell and this will be the
second rehabilitation project. This partnership has reduced blight, strengthened our
neighborhoods, and created opportunities for new housing and revitalized properties. I
appreciate the support provided to the City of Hornell by the Land Bank and look forward to the
completion of this project, which will bring a high-quality, single-family home to O’Connor
Avenue.”
