Last Wednesday, the mayor's plan to redevelop Willets Point got the go-ahead from the City Planning Commission. The ball is now in the City Council's court. It has 60 days to cast the decisive vote on this incredibly important project.
Unfortunately, there are indications that some members of the Council are hell-bent on blocking the plan to turn the area that now consists largely of car repair shops and junkyards sitting atop contaminated soil into a commercial district on the waterfront of Queens with a new hotel, convention center, stores and housing. City Hall estimates that the redevelopment will create 5,000 permanent jobs.
A group of City Council members led by Tony Avella has sent a letter to the mayor saying they will not support the measure unless and until eminent domain is taken off the table. Eminent domain allows local government to condemn and take over property when it is needed for a public purpose. In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that eminent domain could also be invoked in redevelopment projects, even if the work is financed by private developers.
Without eminent domain, the redevelopment of Willets Point will not happen. There are too many businesses that will not move, even when the city makes a reasonable offer. If the plan fails, the blame should be placed on Avella and Councilman Hiram Monserrate, who has come close to extortion in his attempts to get concessions from City Hall in exchange for his support.
If the hang-up is truly eminent domain, we invite Avella and other council members to take a ride down I-95 to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Today, the Inner Harbor is a major tourist attraction with shops, restaurants, entertainment, housing and ball fields. Before the redevelopment, the Inner Harbor was a decaying, dangerous area with rotting docks once used by a shipping industry that had long ago relocated.
The building of the Inner Harbor saved downtown Baltimore and would not have happened without the use of eminent domain. Fortunately, people with vision saw that the redevelopment would serve the greater good, creating jobs, bringing in tourist dollars and turning an eyesore into a thriving business district.
The Council members who will vote on Willets Point will be looking for new jobs a year from now. We hope they will realize that this is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.
