Quote:
Originally Posted by DizzyEdge
I would never want the city to have the power to expropriate so that private enterprise can do business on the land seized.
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Normally I would not either but the city spent a huge sum of money on the WLRT and that land is on the only underground LRT station in this city and Westbrook station was BUILT to be a TOD hub. The tax payers paid a huge amount of money on Westbrook and now the owners of the mall have decided to make that taxpayers money a waste.
I dont understand how the mall owners could even consider blocking this, I lived 2 blocks from that mall and it is a dead wasteland and is prime for redevelopment. How much can s dollar store seriously pay in rent selling $1 bags of balloons and $2 scented candles.
I would not be surprised if the whole thing is a strongarm tactic to get paid. The Walmart and Safeway do great business but the rest of that mall is a money pit. The Walmart and Safeway could be converted into urban format stores to suit the redevelopment. They dont have to not be a part of it.
The mall owners also own the srrip mall to the south with the drug store and the strip mall to the north with spa lady and the piano bar/theater. This has effectively killed the Westbrook TOD.