In what may be the largest use of eminent-domain in the nation, elected leaders from Riviera Beach, Florida plan to move 6,000 residents to develop a 400-acre waterfront yachting and luxury residential complex.
"The goal, Mayor Michael D. Brown said during a public meeting in September, is to "forever change the landscape" in this municipality of about 32,500. The $1-billion plan, local leaders have said, should generate jobs and haul Riviera Beach's economy out of the doldrums.
Opponents, however, call the plan a government-sanctioned land grab that benefits private developers and the wealthy.
...With many Americans sensitized to eminent-domain cases after a much-discussed ruling by the Supreme Court in June, property-rights organizations have been pointing to redevelopment plans in this Palm Beach County town as proof that laws must be changed to protect homeowners and businesses from the schemes of politicians."
FULL STORY: An Eminent Domain High Tide
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