developer loses eminent domain battle against utica

developer loses eminent domain battle against utica

City ofutica ands over....ended, in a rochester courtroom.

Both the developer and the city owned propert beneath one building.

The city wouldn't sell to the developer and wants to pursue eminent domain to take his share.

The developer fought it in appelate court.

Newschannel 2's joleen ferris tells us how the story ends.

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None stand up "the property on which the former northland building sits in downtowica found itsf in a bitf a tugf war, beuse two pares own theland it'e court, in rochester, recently settled that dispute" the young developer who owned about 20 percent of the land on which the former northland building sits, lost, in court, to the city of utica.

And he's a bit bewildered by that 2:10 "so now they have the ability to move forward with eminent domain where they would take it from us.

8:39 "eminent domain is supposed to be for a public use or benefit.

I dont' know of any public use or benefit here" the city, which owns the other 80 of the property on which the building sits, has always argued that they can't market it to a developer if they don't own all of it.

And, they say, the situation was draining the city 2:58 "we have over $100,000 in taxpayer money invested to maintain it, to heat it, to light it, to repair any of the plumbing that has gone over the winters" but the city doesn't have a specific use plan for it right now.

Or, a buyer 3:13 "if we don't need it for a public use and it goes to the urban renewal, then we'll look at the best possible business plan that will be achieveable for the the city and the residents of utica" bailey could appeal further, but says he's going to end the nearly a nearly three-year legal battle betwe the