BUFFALO, N.Y. — After a four-year freeze on sales of all city-owned properties in Buffalo's Fruit Belt, the common council voted Tuesday to finally reverse that decision.

They initially approved the freeze to protect current residents from gentrification due to the growing medical campus nearby.

But since then, the city and community has come together to create a strategic plan to prevent this.

The more than 200 vacant, city-owned lots in the neighborhood will now be opened up in phases.

“It will be a public process. There is no one that will be handpicked for developments. It will be driven by community, because part of the strategic plan is that community will interview the people who are coming into the community to do projects,” said Common Council President Darius Pridgen.

First up will be some property already promised to Ellicott Development and a High Street property that needs to be rehabbed.

The first phase also includes about 50 properties that have been promised to the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust.

"They're doing their paperwork to become a designated developer. But this moves it where they can begin that process,” said Pridgen.

Pridgen adds that he expects the next phase of freezes to be lifted soon.