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Opponents Of Brooklyn Sports Complex Plan To Speak Out At Hearing
November 04, 2005

The battle over eminent domain is moving forward both in Congress and here in New York, where opponents to an extensive development plan in Brooklyn are looking to block developer Bruce Ratner from using the law to buy up land for a multi-million dollar sports complex.

The State Assembly is holding a public hearing Friday morning to determine if legislation should be enacted to further regulate the use of eminent domain.

Opponents of Ratner's plan to redevelop Downtown Brooklyn are among those expected to testify.

Ratner is looking to build $3.5 billion complex at the Atlantic Rail Yards that includes a new Nets arena as well as office and residential towers. He's been buying out property owners in the area, and hasn't ruled out using eminent domain if residents and businesses won’t sell.

A Supreme Court decision earlier this year allowed the use of eminent domain authority to be used to obtain land for tax revenue-generating commercial purposes in addition to the more literal application of the law for government land use.

But in Washington Thursday, the House easily passed a bill supported by President George W. Bush that would cut off federal economic development money from states that use economic development as a rationale for property seizures, in direct opposition to the Supreme Court ruling.

The bill now moves to the Senate where similar legislation has already been introduced.