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Real Estate & Property Law

: National Eminent Domain Blog

Willets Point

By Alan Ackerman

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Times Ledger, November 23, 2007

Former Borough President Claire Shulman continued her cross-borough tour in support of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Willets Point redevelopment plan Monday night, telling the Queens Civic Congress she expects a legal battle to take place, but does not believe eminent domain will be used by the city.

The city's plan is expected to start the six-month-long public approval process as soon as February, and Shulman said a developer could be selected as early as next fall. The project remains fraught with obstacles, however, including the need for an extensive environmental cleanup, millions in infrastructure costs and, most pressingly, the 1,300 workers and 250 businesses which will need to be moved.

Shulman said the legitimate businesses at Willets Point deserve fair negotiations with the city, but stopped short of saying they deserve to stay on the 60-acre site.

She said she believes the city has firm legal standing and should not take eminent domain off the table, but does not think the controversial practice will be used when all is said and done.

"Eminent domain is a bottom line and I don't believe it will ever be used" she said. "But it's not in [the business owners'] best interest to wait for eminent domain."

-All too frequently, retired elected officials jump at the opportunity to promote eminent domain actions. Somehow, officials feel that their name becomes good when attached to a successful private taking project such as Willets Point. It is hard to imagine that the former president would know whether owners are better or worse off to await the condemnation.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on November 30, 2007 (boomark / email).