Around 120 New Yorkers from Willets Point, Queens; West Harlem; Downtown Brooklyn, and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn turned out on the hottest day of the summer to date to a press conference/rally Against the Abuse of Eminent Domain which has reached epidemic proportions in NYC. The groups have formed a new umbrella coalition called New Yorkers Against Eminent Domain Abuse. And the mainstream media yawned, or was blinded by subway breakdowns and blackouts.

There are great photos from the event here.

Eminent domain abuse has become City policy under the Bloomberg Administration. And the folks from each of these neighborhoods—owners, renters and community advocates—fighting eminent domain, came out in the heat, from across the City (rare) to say that they will not accept the city's abusive policy. That they will not accept City negligence leading to "blight" determinations; that they will not accept their homes and businesses being seized to give to a wealthy private developer to make a bundle; that they will not accept eminent domain as the first resort with an Administration that consistently says it's a last resort; that they will not sell, and in the chant of the day's event "Hell No, We Won't Go."

The Mayor has made it clear that he's against eminent domain reform because it would change the way his Administration wants to do business.

In 2006 Bloomberg made fighting eminent domain reform a priority:

Among the five priorities listed on the first New York City Card is:

• The opposition to Federal eminent domain legislation that would cripple responsible re-development and revitalization.

In 2007, he practically declared victory in maintaining the status quo:

Two of the five priorities listed on last year's card were accomplished, in part due to lobbying from the organizations and leaders who are New York City Card-members: the State raised the cap on charter schools, and eminent domain legislation was blocked in the Senate.

One story that hasn't come out in the press is the increasing use of eminent domain in NYC which should be characterized as reckless. It's spreading with the current wave of development, and will probably continue to spread. Any area that is being upzoned is vulnerable. In Willets Point, the Mayor keeps saying that they are going to be moved. Moved where? To the next place that the City will eventually rezone?

The Mayor hasn't even tried to conceive of a plan where eminent domain was taken off the table. What if he did? Then what? A rezoning where property owners would benefit from the increased valuation of their property; where homeowners could chose to sell, or not; where our city's history isn't always being erased for the new narrative; where a diversity of uses could be allowed to co-exist?

Bringing folks together from around the city on one issue is a rare event in the city (overshadowed perhaps by the heat meltdown), and the mainstream media missed it. In the context of the development wars, the national backlash against the Supreme Court's Kelo decision of 2 years ago and the Mayor's footsie with the Presidential race, it's an important story.

Councilmembers Avella, James, Liu (represented), Monserrate, and Barron attended, and spoke.

Here is the only article on the event (of course from the Atlantic Yards Report. )

A rally against eminent domain abuse, four City Council members and the "Willets Point effect"

some quotes delivered at the press event:

Elected Officials:

“We cannot engage in the subjective definition of blight. It must be based on deteriorating buildings, not just blight created by the developer. Forest City Ratner should not be rewarded.”-- Councilwoman Letitia James

James also said eminent domain was “stealing property for individuals in high places,” adding that “the Mayor cannot talk about PlaNYC 2030 and support eminent domain.”

“Now we’re taking private property so we can turn it over to private developers. That is so un-American.”-- Councilman Tony Avella (Mayoral Candidate)

“We should never use eminent domain to enrich others.”
Councilman Hiram Monserrate, represents Willets Point

Willets Point:

"For 30 years, we’ve been telling the city we need sewers and we need streets. For 30 years, they’ve ignored us. We’re not blighted, we’re neglected by the city.”
-- Dan Scully of the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association (WPIRA), vice-president at Tully Construction

West Harlem

“We have to look at the elected officials who are not here today,” pointing to Mayor Bloomberg.
-- Nellie Hester Bailey of the Harlem Tenants Counci

Advocates:

"Eminent domain must be used only for public purpose, not to make the rich richer."
-- Ron Shiffman, founding director of the Pratt Center for Community Development and former City Planning commissioner

"Eminent domain is the thermonuclear warhead of city planning."
-- Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council

Downtown Brooklyn

"Governor Spitzer, where are you?"
-- Joy Chatel, a Duffield Street homeowner

“When they say it’s a public use just because they say it’s a public use, it doesn’t mean it’s a public use. When they say it’s bight just because they say it’s blight, it doesn’t mean it’s blight. The mayor says often, ‘you can’t let one guy’ stand in the way of development; We’re not ‘one guy.’ And we're not in the way of development, development in this city can, does, and should occur without the abuse of eminent domain."
-- Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn spokesman, and homeowner Daniel Goldstein