Phoenix to Use Eminent Domain For Downtown ASU Campus
Some timely news from my hometown:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0625phxcondemn.html
Text of article follows.
I want to thank Thurman for sending this. Phoenix is desperately trying to build an urban core, which it's never had. Significant investments have been made over the last 15 years - the Arizona Center office and retail complex, the new City Hall, the new Arizona Republic headquarters, the America West Arena, the Bank One Ballpark, the Dodge Theater, the B of A Tower/Collier Center, the AMC 24 at Arizona Center, the new Phelps Dodge headquarters, the T-Gen genomics complex. A large expansion of the Civic Plaza (convention center) is underway, as is the construction of the Valley's light rail line, which will serve downtown. None of these investments has proven to be the "magic bullet" - perhaps a downtown ASU campus is, if only because it would finally inject a large population and a venerable institution, resulting in 24-hour vitality. Of course, it should surprise no one that the property owners are concerned about having their property "ripped off."
=====
Phoenix set to seize 5 acres for downtown ASU campus
Ginger D. Richardson
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
Phoenix plans to seize nearly 5 acres to build the new Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus.
After months of failed negotiations, the city's attorneys filed the condemnation notices this week in Maricopa County Superior Court against eight downtown property owners. The land the city wants ranges from vacant parking lots to a three-story office building. More filings are expected. The city anticipates that it will need to use eminent domain to acquire a little more than 25 percent of the campus.
"We will continue to negotiate with people, of course," Assistant City Manager Sheryl Sculley said. "But we do have to proceed and move forward on this."
The City Council authorized the use of eminent domain, which allows governments to take private property by force, more than six months ago to assemble land for the campus.
But even though the move was expected, it is doing little to cool the ire of those about to lose their property.
"It's pretty clear . . . that the city has carte blanche to take the land," said landowner Norman Fox, referring to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that further strengthened the law that allows cities to seize homes and businesses in the name of redevelopment. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be treated fairly."
The most critical case involves the Park Place building at 500 N. Third St., which is slated to become ASU's College of Nursing. City officials say they need to start renovation work by fall in time for the first classes in August 2006.
"We are really up against a deadline here," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said of the building. "We can't miss this opportunity."
The city also filed an order asking for immediate possession of that property and all the other parcels. It wasn't clear Friday how soon Phoenix could take control of them, but City Attorney Gary Verburg said he hopes Phoenix will have possession of at least Park Place by the end of summer.
"We can take possession as soon as the judge says we can take possession," he said. "We can fight about value later."
Property owners must be served notice of the condemnation filings and then will have 20 days to respond before a hearing can be scheduled. However, almost everyone agrees that the city has a legal right to take the property. The fight is expected to be over how much Phoenix will pay for it.
In total, the ASU campus will stretch over about 20 acres of prime real estate. The school will be bordered by Van Buren Street on the south, First Avenue on the west, Second and Third streets on the east and Fillmore Street on the north.
The city already has purchased some of the land; other parcels are being developed under public-private deals that are being worked out with property owners.
Phoenix has hired an outside firm to appraise each of the properties being condemned. According to records obtained Friday by The Arizona Republic, the city is offering anywhere from $35 to $115 per square foot for each property.
Some question whether those are fair prices.
Anthony Olivieri, for example, said he bought some land and a commercial building on Central Avenue for $490,000 back in 2003. On April 1, the city offered him about $440,000.
"I wouldn't say that I am being treated unfairly, but it does bother me the way that the city is handling this whole thing," said Olivieri, who hoped to build a high-rise development on the site in a partnership.
Others are more blunt.
"All I know is that I've been notified in writing that the city is going to take my land, and I am not happy about it," said Leon Woodward, who owns a building rented by a dry cleaner and a parking lot at 501 and 509 N. First St.
Woodward's case wasn't among this week's filings, but the city is already preparing an appraisal of his land to be used in condemnation proceedings.
Woodward said he expects that the appraisals will be too low and vows that he will start a public campaign against the city's upcoming bond program if he isn't treated fairly.
The city hopes to roll $233 million worth of land acquisition and associated costs for the ASU campus into the bond package, which goes before voters in March. If voters don't approve it, it will make it difficult for the city and ASU to build the second phase of the campus, which is expected to have 8,000 students.
Woodward and other landowners wouldn't say specifically what they thought their land is worth. But they think a fair market rate is well over $100 a square foot. They cite recent sales of downtown property that netted $120 to $144 per square foot.
"Why can't the landowners hire their own appraisers to come up with a value that we think is fair?" asked Norman Fox, who owns a 7,250-square-foot parcel along Central Avenue. The land is vacant, but Fox said he had wanted to partner with Olivieri to develop the site. The city has offered him $40 a square foot.
"I am willing to give up the high-rise for the progress," he said. "But don't steal it from me."
Phoenix officials contend that their offers are fair. They believe that all the announcements about downtown, from the university campus to a $600 million renovation of Phoenix Civic Plaza to light rail, have fueled rampant speculation. Officials don't believe they should be victimized by the artificially inflated costs.
But they do say they will continue to negotiate with landowners.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0625phxcondemn.html
Text of article follows.
I want to thank Thurman for sending this. Phoenix is desperately trying to build an urban core, which it's never had. Significant investments have been made over the last 15 years - the Arizona Center office and retail complex, the new City Hall, the new Arizona Republic headquarters, the America West Arena, the Bank One Ballpark, the Dodge Theater, the B of A Tower/Collier Center, the AMC 24 at Arizona Center, the new Phelps Dodge headquarters, the T-Gen genomics complex. A large expansion of the Civic Plaza (convention center) is underway, as is the construction of the Valley's light rail line, which will serve downtown. None of these investments has proven to be the "magic bullet" - perhaps a downtown ASU campus is, if only because it would finally inject a large population and a venerable institution, resulting in 24-hour vitality. Of course, it should surprise no one that the property owners are concerned about having their property "ripped off."
=====
Phoenix set to seize 5 acres for downtown ASU campus
Ginger D. Richardson
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 25, 2005 12:00 AM
Phoenix plans to seize nearly 5 acres to build the new Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus.
After months of failed negotiations, the city's attorneys filed the condemnation notices this week in Maricopa County Superior Court against eight downtown property owners. The land the city wants ranges from vacant parking lots to a three-story office building. More filings are expected. The city anticipates that it will need to use eminent domain to acquire a little more than 25 percent of the campus.
"We will continue to negotiate with people, of course," Assistant City Manager Sheryl Sculley said. "But we do have to proceed and move forward on this."
The City Council authorized the use of eminent domain, which allows governments to take private property by force, more than six months ago to assemble land for the campus.
But even though the move was expected, it is doing little to cool the ire of those about to lose their property.
"It's pretty clear . . . that the city has carte blanche to take the land," said landowner Norman Fox, referring to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that further strengthened the law that allows cities to seize homes and businesses in the name of redevelopment. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be treated fairly."
The most critical case involves the Park Place building at 500 N. Third St., which is slated to become ASU's College of Nursing. City officials say they need to start renovation work by fall in time for the first classes in August 2006.
"We are really up against a deadline here," Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said of the building. "We can't miss this opportunity."
The city also filed an order asking for immediate possession of that property and all the other parcels. It wasn't clear Friday how soon Phoenix could take control of them, but City Attorney Gary Verburg said he hopes Phoenix will have possession of at least Park Place by the end of summer.
"We can take possession as soon as the judge says we can take possession," he said. "We can fight about value later."
Property owners must be served notice of the condemnation filings and then will have 20 days to respond before a hearing can be scheduled. However, almost everyone agrees that the city has a legal right to take the property. The fight is expected to be over how much Phoenix will pay for it.
In total, the ASU campus will stretch over about 20 acres of prime real estate. The school will be bordered by Van Buren Street on the south, First Avenue on the west, Second and Third streets on the east and Fillmore Street on the north.
The city already has purchased some of the land; other parcels are being developed under public-private deals that are being worked out with property owners.
Phoenix has hired an outside firm to appraise each of the properties being condemned. According to records obtained Friday by The Arizona Republic, the city is offering anywhere from $35 to $115 per square foot for each property.
Some question whether those are fair prices.
Anthony Olivieri, for example, said he bought some land and a commercial building on Central Avenue for $490,000 back in 2003. On April 1, the city offered him about $440,000.
"I wouldn't say that I am being treated unfairly, but it does bother me the way that the city is handling this whole thing," said Olivieri, who hoped to build a high-rise development on the site in a partnership.
Others are more blunt.
"All I know is that I've been notified in writing that the city is going to take my land, and I am not happy about it," said Leon Woodward, who owns a building rented by a dry cleaner and a parking lot at 501 and 509 N. First St.
Woodward's case wasn't among this week's filings, but the city is already preparing an appraisal of his land to be used in condemnation proceedings.
Woodward said he expects that the appraisals will be too low and vows that he will start a public campaign against the city's upcoming bond program if he isn't treated fairly.
The city hopes to roll $233 million worth of land acquisition and associated costs for the ASU campus into the bond package, which goes before voters in March. If voters don't approve it, it will make it difficult for the city and ASU to build the second phase of the campus, which is expected to have 8,000 students.
Woodward and other landowners wouldn't say specifically what they thought their land is worth. But they think a fair market rate is well over $100 a square foot. They cite recent sales of downtown property that netted $120 to $144 per square foot.
"Why can't the landowners hire their own appraisers to come up with a value that we think is fair?" asked Norman Fox, who owns a 7,250-square-foot parcel along Central Avenue. The land is vacant, but Fox said he had wanted to partner with Olivieri to develop the site. The city has offered him $40 a square foot.
"I am willing to give up the high-rise for the progress," he said. "But don't steal it from me."
Phoenix officials contend that their offers are fair. They believe that all the announcements about downtown, from the university campus to a $600 million renovation of Phoenix Civic Plaza to light rail, have fueled rampant speculation. Officials don't believe they should be victimized by the artificially inflated costs.
But they do say they will continue to negotiate with landowners.
posted by Mitch Glaser @ 2:13 PM
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1 Comments:
it's wednesday... where've ya been?
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