Marion, Indiana, has emerged as one of the strongest examples of the Renewing Cities model in action, where community leaders create a nonprofit land trust to catalyze redevelopment. The Marion Land Trust is a community-led entity established to acquire, restore, and retain ownership of strategic downtown properties, with the revenues being reinvested back into the community in perpetuity.

What began as a focused acquisition strategy is developing into a significant downtown portfolio: the Trust has now acquired 13 buildings totaling nearly 100,000 square feet, creating a critical mass of properties for transformation at scale. The Trust’s early progress has already helped build confidence among owners, institutional partners, and community stakeholders, while laying the groundwork for sustained private and philanthropic investment in downtown Marion.

What makes Marion particularly compelling is the breadth of local leadership and community ownership behind the effort. Civic leaders have come together alongside the Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana Wesleyan University, Taylor University, and local business leaders to provide capital, expertise, relationships, and long-term vision for the Trust. Sagamore’s support comes amid a broader community effort to invest in downtown Marion, with partners pursuing complementary strategies to strengthen the city’s core. For example, the Community Foundation of Grant County is investing $7.5 million to transform a historic downtown property at 100 S. Washington Street into a collaborative nonprofit center, demonstrating its broader commitment to using real estate investment as a catalyst for community development.

Building on this momentum, The Trust is targeting additional property acquisitions, with a goal of securing 20 strategic downtown properties before moving into the redevelopment stage.