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April 27, 2010
EMINENT DOMAINIA: The Big Apple Bites!...
The New York Times, Eager to Rebuild Willets Point, City Faces Legal Fight From Property Owners
It is one of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s signature projects — the sweeping transformation of Willets Point, a slice of Queens that has long been among the city’s most neglected pieces of real estate. And a little over a year ago, it seemed like a done deal.
The City Council approved the proposal, which would sweep aside the car-repair shops, junkyards and small factories in the shadow of Citi Field to make room for 5,500 apartments, parks, office buildings, stores, restaurants and a hotel.
Many of the largest property owners agreed to sell to the city, and the city could use eminent domain to force out those who refused.
But a convergence of a Park Avenue lawyer known for toppling big projects, a sawdust maker bent on keeping the family business where it has been for decades, and a pair of highway ramps that exist only on paper threatens to doom Mr. Bloomberg’s grand vision.
Posted by eric at April 27, 2010 1:58 PM