Construction work on the Willis Avenue Bridge caused flooding on adjacent property. In March 2007, the City acquired by condemnation property adjacent to the property owned by 82 Willis, LLC. The condemnation was in connection with the City’s reconstruction of the Willis Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River.
Eminent Domain
Owner Loses Demand for Extra Fees
Owner claimed an additional $3 million in attorney’s fees, based on disputes over the valuation of property. In 2014 the New York State Urban Development Corporation took by eminent domain the property of TKGSM-NY, LLC, a Brooklyn business. The State ultimately paid over $25 million to compensate the business for its property located at 718-728 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. The owner asserted that the lengthy efforts to resolve the differences between the appraisal offered by the … <Read More>
Property Award Decreased By $6,934,487
City claimed condemned property designated as wetlands was overvalued at $10 million. In 1985, seven acres of property covering six blocks in the Oakwood Beach section of Staten Island was donated to a yeshiva. The yeshiva’s plans for the property included development of a school and synagogue. Due to fiscal setbacks and a freshwater wetland designation, the yeshiva in 1991 sought and the City approved a hardship exemption in development of the planned school and … <Read More>
De Facto Taking Claim Fails
Owner claimed de facto taking when City installed storm drains that flooded land designated as a wetland. The firm 594 Associates, Inc. acquired vacant land on Staten Island in 1985. The land was designated freshwater wetlands or wetlands adjacent area, and therefore development was not permitted. On September 26, 2005, the City constructed a headwall on the property’s border with an adjacent street. The headwall contained an outlet for one of the adjacent street’s storm … <Read More>
Taking of Harlem Property Approved
Opponents claimed City missed three-year time period to initiate eminent domain proceedings. In June 2009, the City authorized the taking of ten parcels of land near East 125th Street by eminent domain. The takings were part of an urban renewal plan in an area known for African-American art, entertainment, and history. Some of the affected properties included a thirty-year-old auto business, a not-for-profit center, a BP service station and a billboard stanchion. The parcels were … <Read More>
Developer sought for Phase 1 of Willets Point District
City targeting 12.75-acre site adjacent to Citi Field for first phase of construction. On May 9, 2011, The City’s Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals seeking a developer for Phase 1 of the Willets Point District redevelopment plan in Queens. The triangle-shaped Willets Point District comprises 61.4 acres generally bounded by Northern Boulevard, the Van Wyck Expressway, and 126th Street. The contentious redevelopment plan was approved by the City Council in November … <Read More>