Eminent Domain Spreads to Williamsburg Waterfront
How would you feel if you’d been smart enough to buy waterfront property in Williamsburg before Dan Doctoroff knew the difference between Bedford and Broadway only to have your property snatched away from you by the city? Probably something like the two groups of investors who are in the process of getting pushed out by…
How would you feel if you’d been smart enough to buy waterfront property in Williamsburg before Dan Doctoroff knew the difference between Bedford and Broadway only to have your property snatched away from you by the city? Probably something like the two groups of investors who are in the process of getting pushed out by the forces of eminent domain to make way for a possible soccer and softball field. This time around, the city isn’t claiming blight; instead it’s invoking the concept of public good. The land, which is bounded by Kent Avenue, the East River, North 9th Street and North 10th Street in Williamsburg, is just to the north of the recently-opened East River State Park between North 8th and North 9th streets and lies at the southern end of the proposed Bushwick Inlet Park that the city’s had on the drawing boards for the past couple of years; the parcel represents phase 1 of the park project. The grand vision for the park extends north from North 9th Street about six blocks to the far side of the Bushwick Inlet. This is far from a done deal, though, according to The Real Deal, which first reported the ED action: Three land owners in the center of the footprint—TransGas, CitiStorage and the Greenpoint Monitor Museum—aren’t taking the city’s overtures lying down. “[The land] was donated and we are not giving it up,” said Janice Lauletta-Weinmann, president and co-founder of the Greenpoint Monitor Museum, told TRD. “It is a disgrace.” One remaining issue to be resolved in the North 9th Street case is price: Typically the city pays a token amount to the owners upfront and then litigates the final amount. The market value is probably somewhere between $100 and $200 per buildable square foot, according to Massey Knakal. It’ll be interesting to see what the final price is. Do you think this situation merits the use of eminent domain?
City Takes W’burg Waterfront Properties for Park [The Real Deal] GMAP
“$100 to $200 per buildable square foot”?!?
NOTHING is buildable there, its zoned for park land.
Now what is it worth? What is fair market value?
And this is exactly what eminent domain should be used for – improvement of the public good. Its not some giveaway to private interests in the name of increasing tax revenue (a la Kelo).
These guys (Monitor Museum aside) are trying to hold the city, taxpayers and the neighborhood hostage.
I actually think this is almost entirely appropriate. This isn’t exactly a thriving corner of Williamsburg. While I’d like to see a fair price negotiated, these owners are basically in it to take the city for a ride — they know perfectly well that without Bushwick Inlet, the waterfront development is gonna come to naught around here. Since they know the city has pretty much promised everyone to buy this land, it’s hard to believe a sale would be anywhere near “fair market value.”
I think you’re wrong here brownstoner. The trouble with your scenario is that these guys can hold out for much more than the value of the property because the city has no ability to look for property somewhere else. The courts exist to ensure that the city pays fair market value. The owners know that and the city knows it. Eminent domain has a bad rap in Brooklyn right now because of AY, but it is used all the time to build parks, schools, police precincts, etc. Poor Edwin Litchfield, was a smart property owner and Brooklyn developer. That didn’t stop the City of Brooklyn for taking his home when it built Prospect Park. I’m sure he wasn’t too happy about it, but ask all the kids at the Third Street playgroud if it was a good idea and I’m sure that the answer would be a resounding “Yes.”
I wish they would do this in Wallabout
We like the idea of a park just fine but don’t think it merits eminent domain. ED should be reserved for rare and extreme circumstances, in our opinion, not just as a matter of convenience.
I am really confused. You are upset because the city is using eminent domain to build a park? That is what it is for. And I am not shedding any tears – the owners will get paid. Next.
Just curious- has anyone read The Power Broker?
Look, these property owners don’t live here, they’re just businessmen, right? So if you rule out the emotion that often comes with displacing people from their homes, the city should be able to offer them a price on the free market (without ED) that should get the deal done. The big reason to use ED here, except in the case of the museum, is for the city to underpay.
Oh the untouchable Williamsburg?
“if the city is smart”
Those are big ifs.