NEIU expansion invokes eminent domain
“Northeastern Illinois University is taking a big gamble: that if it finally builds on-campus housing, it can reverse declining student enrollment. But the way the university’s going about this has upset some neighbors. The university plans to acquire the properties through eminent domain, leaving owners on one block of W Bryn Mawr Ave. with little say in the matter.
Depending on who’s speaking, the 3400 block of W Bryn Mawr Ave. could be described as “sleepy,” “stagnant,” or “depressed.” But nearly every storefront is occupied. On the south side sit a Chinese restaurant, dental clinic, hair salon, and hookah cafe. On the north side, a travel agency, real estate agency, bank, and 7-11.
On a recent morning, two surveyors were casing the street. They said they were there for “the university,” measuring the dimensions of the buildings and their properties. The information could go into an appraisal of the properties’ values.”
Yousef, Odette. WBEZ Radion 9 July 2014.