Demolition Without Due Process
“In a state where eminent domain is considered close to un-American, that same state, Louisiana, is determined to demolish a unique New Orleans landmark even before the protesting private property owners have had their day in court.
Last week, contractors were poised to demolish the 1907 Dixie Brewery, one of the city’s largest iconic landmarks, until the owners, Kendra and Joseph Bruno, obtained a temporary injunction until the case is heard in Civil District Court on Jan. 7th. The Brunos are challenging the taking of their property on constitutional grounds but if the building is gone before the case is decided, the result will be a mockery of the judicial system.
An elegant red brick structure with arched windows and a distinctive silver dome, Dixie Brewery is on Tulane Avenue adjacent to the 30-acre site of both the VA and LSU hospitals now under construction. The VA Hospital wants the brewery site for a research building, not as part of the hospital.
“We never believed they would take the brewery,” says Kendra Bruno. “We were told not to worry and that under no circumstances would it be taken because they had all the land they need on the hospital site.””
Gratz, Roberta Brandes. Huffington Post 6 January 2013.