We’ll take a slurpee, and the whole lot
On Friday, the University administration will ask the Board of Higher Education to use eminent domain to acquire the rest of the land on Franklin needed to build the new arena, the 7-Eleven, a dental office and the old Dominoes building, it was reported today.
Melinda Grier, UO general counsel, told The Register-Guard newspaper of Eugene that the university still hopes to reach voluntary agreements with the property owners. But, she added, the university hopes to begin arena construction next year and needs assurance that the properties will be part of the site.
Here’s a blast from the past: “Condemnation is an act of last resort.” I guess the administration is at it’s last resort.
A new storyline is mentioned in the article that may lead to future hullabaloo. The Guard reported that the land will be owned by the University, but it is “considering” forming a private, nonprofit corporation through the UO Foundation to build the arena. You have to believe that this plan is set in motion. This seems logical since it is being built by private donations and the project is headed by an administrator with a two year tenure, allowing him to still head the project after his time as athletic director is over.
I’m sure there will be plenty of protests to the idea that the new arena won’t be owned by the University, especially since it replaces an arena built by the students. It may, however, loosen the future financial burdens of keeping the arena out of the red. Is it time we start considering the privatizing of the Athletic Department in the future?
It’s still up in the air whether the corporation, National Championship Properties, would continue to own and manage the arena after it’s built or turn it over to the UO. Either way, the university will be negotiating unexplored territory.
This is standard for cities using eminent domain. They go to the property owner and say, “Here’s our absurdly low offer for your land. Take it, or we’ll use eminent domain.” I interviewed a guy who’s autobody shop got seized by the city of Eugene to make way for the new federal courthouse; The city originally offered him $200,000 for his $1.6 million business.
See, the U should buy the 7-11 and actually RUN it. It’d be a way to get jobs for students on campus, and possibly throw some upgrades in that shop…cause right now, it looks like utter shite.
“I can assure you that we will do nothing to violate Ballot Measure 39,” Grier said. “As we develop how we approach (the project), that is one of the pieces that is in that whole calculation — how to conform our actions to the letter of Measure 39 while violating only the spirit of the law.”
Got it fixed.
Thanks, got it fixed.
“I can assure you that we will do nothing to violate Ballot Measure 39,” Grier said. “As we develop how we approach (the project), that is one of the pieces that is in that whole calculation.”
Using eminent domain to take private property from one party and give it to another? Didn’t we vote to prohibit that kind of low shenanigans not too long ago?
Actually, I protest the University putting a gun to the head of those property owners and demanding the land. That’s robbery, plain and simple, and there’s no excuse for it.
Melinda, you ignorant slut, if you’re going to steal the property from them anyway how is any agreement to sell it voluntary?
Ossie: The link for “blast from the past” goes to the OC login site for wordpress.