What Ever Happened to the Kelo House?
This Monday is the third anniversary of Kelo v. City of New London, the notorious decision where the Supreme Court upheld that city's use of eminent domain on behalf of the Pfizer Corporation. So what's the status of the "comprehensive" and "revitalized" development site today? Here's the Institute for Justice, the libertarian public interest firm that litigated the case:
Like so many other projects that use eminent domain and rely on taxpayer subsidies, New London's Fort Trumbull project has been a failure. After spending $78 million in taxpayer dollars, the city of New London and the private developer have engaged in no new construction since the project was approved in 2000. Indeed, since the property owners disputing the takings owned less than two acres in a 90-acre project area, the city has always had a vast majority of the land available for development. Yet, no new development has occurred. The preferred developer for part of the site, Corcoran Jennison, recently missed its latest deadline for securing financing for building on the site and was terminated as the "designated developer."
The property at the center of the case, the house owned by plaintiff Susette Kelo, has since been relocated in its entirety to another part of town. And tomorrow is the grand re-opening, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony. If you're in the area, stop by and thank Susette Kelo and the fine folks at the Institute for Justice for fighting the good fight. Details here.