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2.3 N WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23. 2004 LOCAL NEWS
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<br /> NEW BRIGHTON
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<br /> Eminent domain cited in development But Chenoweth said city res- vere said.
<br /> idents never really reaped the The city has stated that the
<br /> • BY ALLEN POWELL II The city will also rent the benefits from removing the Northwest Quadrant redevelop-
<br /> Pioneer Press old store to Beisswenger's free homes.Under what is known as ment will create more than 300
<br /> for a year while the new store is tax increment financing, the new housing units and$240 mil-
<br /> In a move that has drawn being built. increase in property taxes for lion in tax base after a$40 mil-
<br /> residents' ire in the past, New Locke said the generous years goes not to schools and lion to $50 million city invest-
<br /> Brighton has begun eminent- terms were necessary because city budgets, but to help repay ment.Locke also said several of
<br /> domain proceedings on a resi- the city initiated the relocation. the city's investment. the properties near the
<br /> dential property to make it easi- "We're trying to hedge our "I think it is totally uncon- Nordquists' home were blight-
<br /> er to redevelop. bets, I guess," Locke said. "If scionable," said Chenoweth. "I ed.
<br /> The city is trying to buy the we don't manage to get a pur- think eminent domain certain- In addition, while other eld-
<br /> property — a 50-year-old, 816- chase worked out, we can use ly has its place ... I think there erly couples may have resented
<br /> square-foot home on Old High- eminent domain." needs to be some issues the forced departure from their
<br /> way 8 near Highway 96 as . The two-bedroom home — addressed in how they're using homes, the Nordquists are fine
<br /> part of a plan to move longtime which sits on a 30,000-square- it." with the move.
<br /> city landmark Beisswenger's foot lot — is owned by Robert The city is within its rights Their home has an estimat-
<br /> Hardware. Nordquist, 75, and his wife, to use eminent domain to ed market value at about
<br /> Beisswenger's is moving Audrey, 72, who have lived acquire the Nordquists' home, $149,300, according to the coun- t
<br /> because the city wants to buy there since 1953. Locke said.By selling the prop- ty assessor's office, but they
<br /> Wits site for residential proper- Some city residents question erty to Beisswenger's Hard- could receive anywhere from
<br /> ties under the city's Northwest whether the city should use ware, the city is ultimately $190,000 to$210,000 because the
<br /> Quadrant redevelopment plan, eminent domain to acquire pri- serving a public purpose by city has to give them enough
<br /> said Kevin Locke,New Brighton vate property and for a private allowing redevelopment to pro- money to purchase a property
<br /> community development direc- entity. Eminent domain allows teed on Beisswenger's old site, comparable to their own. Cur-
<br /> tor. the city to acquire land for he said. rently, the couple is asking for .
<br /> Locke said that while the whatever it costs the owner to Charlie LeFevere, a Min- more money than the city is
<br /> city is still trying to buy the relocate to a similar property. neapolis lawyer with the willing to pay,Locke said.
<br /> home without using eminent Joe Chenoweth, owner of Kennedy and Graven law firm, "They give us the money
<br /> " '- domain, it needed to begin the Chenoweth Flowers and Green- said that within the last 25 (and) I don't care what they do
<br /> - " process now so it could deliver houses in New Brighton, said years cities have increasingly with the property," Robert
<br /> the parcel - along with three the city used the same method used eminent domain to Nordquist said.
<br /> others near it — to Beiss- to acquire the homes surround- acquire property for redevelop-
<br /> wenger's by April 15. ing his business in 1996 and ment projects as well as the ..
<br /> Although Beisswenger's had make room for several large parks, schools and streets it Allen Powell 17 covers New x..
<br /> to purchase the four parcels at warehouses. was originally used to create. Brighton,Shoreview, Vadnais
<br /> market value — about $970,000 His mainly elderly neighbors "Those larger public pur- Heights, White Bear Lake,
<br /> —Locke said the city will ulti- —he lives in the same building poses of creating jobs, creating Mounds View,North Oaks, Gem
<br /> mately pay the company,which as his shop — were forced to a larger tax base, cleaning up Lake and Arden Hills.He can be
<br /> has been in New Brighton since move because the city wanted the environment ... are not reached at apowell@
<br /> 1919, about $1.3 million for its the warehouses to increase its damaged by the fact that it is pioneerpress.com
<br /> old store and for relocation. tax base. going to a private entity,"LeFe- or 651-228-2120. e
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