30 Businesses to Be Seized By Los Angeles for Hollywood Condos and Hotel by Eminent Domain
In the face of upcoming restrictions on the use of eminent domain to take private property from some to help private developers, Los Angeles officials are using the power of eminent domain to take over property from small businesses to build a new luxury W hotel and condos.
The condemnation proceedings, authorized by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, set the stage for one of the most ambitious revitalization efforts in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Times reported.
But the action is being decried as heavy-handed and unfriendly by homeowners and merchants who said it was wrong to use public money and power to benefit a private developer, according to the newspaper.The planned development at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street would replace several buildings from the district’s golden era.
The proposed Hollywood and Vine project is intended to include a luxury W 300-room Hotel, 525 condominium and apartment units, and 61,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, according to The Times. via the North County Times
A sign outside of Bernards Luggage store made to look like a movie poster reads:
“Reverse Robin Hood Pictures presents, ‘Murder on Vine Street: Eminent Domain Kills Small Businesses,’ ” it reads. “This story tells it all: Greed, Corruption and Gridlock.”
It lists as its “stars” the U.S. Supreme Court, Hollywood-area City Councilman Eric Garcetti, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, “the Community Redevelopment Agency as ‘The Godfather’ ” and “the Little Rascals as ‘the developers’ .” via The LA Times
That sounds just about right.
Great points Tom - the flavor of the day solution is only adding to the instability and volatility.
When Washington ...
I see it all too often where owners decide to be investors without understanding that tenants have rights. Its ...
cont from above post.....
please contact me via e-mail if interested in the home listed
above.
jonieckstrom@yahoo.com 
This is a topic currently being debated in our local Real Estate Board here in Toronto Canada. Online, we ...
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my boyfriend and i just fell for the scam ourselves, it's sad what they are able to do. I am ...
Now is an excellent time for business people to buy if they have decent credit (I did not say excellent ...
I just finished emailing some guy from "West Africa" who gave me the same exact bs. He even went so ...
Comment by MoneyDummy on 4 March 2006:
Wow! It’s such a relief to know that we’ve found yet another area in which one individual’s rights are less important than those of another individual with more money or power. Gotta love the Supreme Court and all its glorious wisdom. I’m sure this is JUST how the writers of the Constitution intended it to be interpreted.
Comment by Robert Coté on 4 March 2006:
Heck, Los Angeles is only trying to keep up with its neighbor to the west, Camarillo. http://tinyurl.com/jbf3x wher we read about taking a Catholic elementary school playground to be turned into a parking lot for a restaurant.