Springfield’s vacant property policy now includes owners of commercial and industrial sites.
After 30-days of being empty, a commercial property is considered vacant. The owner then has two months to register it online with the city.
Vacant commercial properties can make revitalization more challenging and expensive, said Logan Cobbs, Springfield director of community development.
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"They often sit empty for longer periods of time, leading to economic decline, potentially reducing property values and decrease tax revenue," Cobbs said. "They can create dead zones in our business district and we see that in a lot of urban downtowns and that discourages foot traffic and investment while also increasing crime and blight."
The policy also requires owners of an empty commercial property to pay a $600 annual fee and have an office within 250 miles of city hall.
There’s a $100 fine for not registering.
To date, Springfield officials do not know the how many vacant commercial and industrial sites there are in the city.
"When properties are left unattended without adequate maintenance and security measures, they become eyesores and they attract vandalism and potentially decrease the overall property values in that surrounding area," Cobbs said. "So it really has to do with accountability and really safety there."
The city's updated policy also increases the annual residential registration fee to $125.
