Jury goes against Westerville in State Street case
“A Franklin County Common Pleas Court jury ruled last week that the city of Westerville must pay $1.3 million for the 0.205 acre in front of US Bank, 833 S. State St., that it seized…
‘Handful’ of easements slow Cobleskill water/sewer project
“The easements are for infrastructure-essentially pipes. “We’ve met with some of these people five and six times,” Mr. Murray said. “We’ve overcome all of their objections. But they still won’t come in.” Bill Ryan, attorney…
Castle Rock approves urban renewal authority
“Councilmembers on May 7 voted unanimously to approve the authority, designed to trigger economic development in Castle Rock. Formation of an urban renewal authority is the first step in a process in which property owners…
Robert Booker: Eminent domain hurt black families
“Unlike the Willow Street project and others that devastated the black community, “Yale Avenue was in no sense a slum clearance,” said Dennis. “Most residences were homeowners quite capable of finding other homes to purchase,…
How Denver Repaired Its Epic Parking Crater
“In the 1990s, in response to the creeping cancer of surface parking, the Mile High City took action. The city changed its downtown zoning to eliminate surface parking as a use by right. So if…
Property owner sues Brunswick County over eminent domain
“Dan lichty has lived in Boiling Spring Lakes for nearly 35 years. He has spent the last few years purchasing land he hoped would turn a profit during his retirement. “How am I going to…
Oklahoma City seeks to condemn, acquire Santa Fe train depot in $21 million dispute
“Oklahoma City thinks downtown’s Santa Fe train depot is worth $2.5 million. The owners, Brent and Brett Brewer, think it’s worth $23.5 million. Neither side is budging, so the city is going to court to…
City will appeal Hackensack redevelopment decision
“Property owners who had unsuccessfully sued the city to stop a Main Street redevelopment plan that could have subjected them to eminent domain welcomed news that an appeals court had overturned the original decision. The…
Using Eminent Domain to Screw the Little Guy in Spring Valley, New York
“Officials in Spring Valley, New York, which is about 20 miles north of Manhattan, have been seizing properties in the village’s 15-block downtown area for the past decade and flipping them to private developers. Federal…
Redevelopment in California: Back from the Dead?
“Two new bills could bring back California’s redevelopment agencies (RDAs), which were notorious for abusing eminent domain. Over the past decade alone, the Institute for Justice catalogued more than 200 cases of eminent domain for private gain. …