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February 7, 2008

EMINENT DOMAINIA: The Big Apple Bites!

Duffield St. Underground, Lovely little movie about Duffield

Here's a new short video about 227 Duffield and the fight to save the historic house from the eminent domain wrecking ball.

Columbia Spectator, How City Government Failed the People
City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Queens) airs some criticisms of the land-use review process that rubber-stamped the Columbia University expansion plan, over the objections of the community:

The failure of the process allowed such important issues as the misuse of eminent domain, the preservation of important historic buildings within the designated development area, and the construction of a level three biological laboratory in the midst of seismically active flood plain in Manhattan, to go unanswered.

The City Council and the administration have now set a dangerous precedent for the use of eminent domain. In the future, any powerful developer or politically connected institution, such as Columbia, can tell the city it has a better use for your property. As a result, no property owner in the city should feel safe.

Indeed, this policy is already being considered and employed in other parts of the city—in downtown Brooklyn (the Ratner/Nets Stadium project) and in Willets Point, Queens.

The News-Review, Apollo requests condemnation
In Riverhead, L.I., as per the contract with the town, the developer of the downtown master plan is actually permitted to ask the town to condemn properties within the redevelopment zone:

Apollo Real Estate Advisors sent a letter Monday formally requesting that Riverhead Town use eminent domain to acquire several downtown buildings and then re-sell the buildings to Apollo.

But the letter was sent back for Apollo to clarify certain issues, according to Supervisor Phil Cardinale.

Mr. Cardinale said the town needs clarification on exactly which properties Apollo wanted the town to condemn and whether Apollo would appear at a Town Board work session this month to show what their revised plans now look like.

Apollo was designated a master developer for downtown Riverhead in 2006, in an agreement that gives them the option of requesting condemnation.

They were one of several companies seeking that designation.

Posted by lumi at February 7, 2008 10:23 PM