Avoid Eminent Domain at Regional Connector Site
“No one likes eminent domain proceedings. Getting into a situation where an arm of government moves to seize property is a lose-lose situation. Often civic leaders wind up looking like bullies. Frequently the person who has a holding snatched away is dissatisfied over the amount of money received.
The potential of an ugly eminent domain outcome is why everyone involved with a key Little Tokyo parcel needs to do his or her best to keep a level head and treat each other with the utmost respect. If things go wrong, there is the potential for a situation that is currently serious to explode into one that is painful, expensive, time-consuming and highly litigious.
Los Angeles Downtown News this month reported on a parcel on the southeast corner of First Street and Central Avenue that is owned by Robert Davies Volk. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to acquire the property so that it can build the $1.37 billion Regional Connector. The project is an extremely important mass transit link that would speed up and facilitate light rail travel across the region. Metro and other officials have spent a lot of time determining the route and potential stations, and the site in question is vital to making everything work.
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LA Downtown News 22 July 2013.