A St. Paul small business owner credits the local development tool with revitalizing his neighborhood, and pleads to others to resist anti-eminent domain campaigns.
"An advocacy group based outside of Minnesota is fueling this so-called 'battle' over property rights. That's an important distinction because none of them stood by me when my customers started falling away to avoid a nearby dumpsite that was heavily polluted. None of them put any money into the neighborhoods that surrounded this dump, so the houses and businesses like mine started to deteriorate. None of them worked to employ my out-of-work neighbors."
"If the St. Paul Port Authority had not been able to use eminent domain on one of six parcels that would ultimately comprise the Great Northern Business Center, we would probably not be in business today.
Cities and redevelopment agencies like the Port Authority need at least to have the ability to use eminent domain to clean up heavily polluted sites like the one two blocks from my store and to assemble tracts of polluted and dilapidated property for redevelopment. Why? Because no one else will do it."
FULL STORY: Kendall Crosby: Eminent domain saved my St. Paul neighborhood and my business

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan
City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?
The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.
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