In 2005, the US Supreme Court was faced with a challenge on the “public use” provision of the Constitution’s eminent domain protection. We know the government can’t take private property without just compensation. The challenge was on the boundaries of the government’s intended use of that property. Kelo v. City of New London gave the government broad rights. It was Susette Kelo who was fighting the City of New London to save her little pink house.
Little Pink House is the story behind the Kelo. The City of New London wanted to take Ms. Kelo’s house and the rest of her neighborhood for redevelopment into an upscale hotel and retail area to complement a nearby redevelopment for Pfizer. Eighty-three property owners had agreed to sell. Ms. Kelo and six others would not sell and resisted the eminent domain action in the Fort Trumbull area.
New London was desperate for tax revenue. The city thought the renewal of Fort Trumbull could trigger a renewal not just of that small area, but the city as a whole. The redevelopment plan included residential units, a hotel and conference center, marina, offices, an expansive and public walkway along the river and most importantly, a new corporate campus for Pfizer. The governor was willing to invest state money to relocate an existing recycling business and to modernize the city’s stinky sewer plant. The government would remediate the brownfields and improve the areas infrastructure.
Little Pink House tells a one-sided view from that of Ms. Kelo. The officials of the local development agency are portrayed as evil single-minded, power-hungry schemers, willing to do anything to get their way. Even if the view is only half-correct, their actions were poor and they botched the process.
The City of New London eventually prevailed in its right to take private property for economic development. But that victory was lost in the storm of public opinion. Just because you can do something not mean that should it.
Pfizer’s buildings went up and the company stayed for 10 years. Then it left when the tax abatements expired. The buildings were valuable and General Dynamics stepped in and bought the complex for its submarine division.
As for Ms. Kelos house and her neighborhood, the re-development never came. Her lot on the corner of East St and Trumbull St is empty. The neighborhood is bulldozed waiting for development some day.
