« Bloomy attacks state board set to approve Yards | Main | DDDB Makes a Federal Case out of it »
October 27, 2006
Lawsuit targets Ratner’s ‘domain’
The Brooklyn Papers
By Ariella Cohen
“This lawsuit presents a textbook example of what the Fifth Amendment expressly prohibits: the taking of one citizen’s property in order to benefit a powerful and influential private citizen,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney, Matthew Brinckerhoff.
Ratner faced a similar lawsuit in the 1980s when the state condemned several blocks of Downtown Brooklyn for the Metrotech office complex.
NoLandGrab: Without knowing the specifics of the Metrotech suit, it is hard to know if the comparison goes beyond the fact that Bruce Ratner is the developer in both projects and has been the beneficiary of eminent domain takings in nearly all of his marquee projects.
Keep in mind one thing: this suit was filed in Federal court, not State court, and is being brought on the grounds that using eminent domain for this project is not legal under the U.S. Constitution.
Posted by lumi at October 27, 2006 12:07 AM