Symposium spotlights urban renewal
“Littleton City Council took the phrases “condemnation” and “urban renewal” out of the shadows and put them center stage at the city’s second annual Economic Vitality Symposium, held Sept. 19 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
“Developers are not out there to make wild sums of money,” explains Greg Moran of MVG Development in the film. “They’re looking for a reasonable return.”
But the path to profit can sometimes be messy, as described by Maureen Phair, executive director of the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority. Arvada recently completed projects to spruce up its downtown, which is similar to Littleton’s Main Street, and is planning more in anticipation of light rail. Both phases include condemnations. Phair said the city generally offers a fair market price, but property owners often hold out for more. When the authority condemns the land, she said, judges often order less than the city offered.
But things don’t always shake out in favor of the city. In 2004, the Colorado Supreme Court blocked AURA from condemning a private lake to make way for a Super Walmart parking lot, killing the whole project.”
Smith, Jennifer. Our Littleton News 23 September 2013.
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