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June 18, 2008
EMINENT DOMAINIA: Reality Bites
The Day [New London], Fort Trumbull Growth Stalled By Hard Times
Morgan McGinley, the former editorial page editor for The Day, explains how the City of New London's winner-take-all approach has left the city with little to show for its efforts:
Eight years have passed since the New London Development Corp. reorganized and in short order produced Pfizer's Global Research and Development offices. The city anticipated a vibrant research and office park in Fort Trumbull with a high-quality hotel.
Pfizer's development has given a much-needed shot in the arm to the local economy. But a time-consuming lawsuit over eminent domain blocked the NLDC's other goals and now the Fort Trumbull project is mired in the national recession.
...
As a result, the city is unlikely to get much new tax revenue anytime soon in Fort Trumbull and a hotel is at least five years away, if at all.
NoLandGrab: The City of New London wouldn't accommodate a handful of homeowners and now all that's left is an empty, non-tax-generating waterfront.
New London won the case, but is now the loser; Susette Kelo lost her case, but is still fighting alongside the Institute for Justice (IJ) for property rights.
Check out IJ's website for Kelo Day initiatives, including fundraising and get-out-the-word campaigns.
Posted by lumi at June 18, 2008 4:08 AM