Owners of Westminster Mall sue city, saying it’s made property “unmarketable”
“The suit, filed Thursday, claims the city wants to demolish the 33-year-old mall and resurrect it as a retail, office and residential complex in order to increase sales-tax revenues.
It is illegal under state law for a government to take property to enhance tax revenue or boost economic development, said Leslie A. Fields, attorney for the Westminster Mall Co.
“While a condemnation case has not yet been filed by the city, the aggressive actions taken by the city over time with respect to the mall constitute an exercise of dominion and control over the mall property for unlawful economically-driven reasons,” she said.
And the Westminster Economic Development Authority purchased a nearby restaurant and demolished it “in plain view of all visitors to the mall and the traveling public,” according to the suit.
The development authority also bought a building attached to the mall from Macy’s and refused to continue payments that the department store chain had promised, the suit said.
As a result of the city’s actions, “the property is unmarketable,” the mall company claims in the lawsuit, filed in Jefferson County District Court. “No reasonable prospective buyer, tenant or investor is interested in owning or using the property for anything other than short-term uses.”
McGhee, Tom. The Denver Post 9 July 2010.