New York Sports and Convention Center                     
  Eminent domain is currently taking place on the Upper West Side of New York City. Some towns people and government officials want a sports and convention center to be built. It would house a stadium for the New York Jets and host events such as art shows. Building this convention center would increase traffic and noise in the Upper West Side. The construction of this building would mean the end for many homes, apartment buildings, and local businesses.                                         

Long Branch Project                     

    Mayor Adam Schneider is allowing Long Branch, NJ to demolish the houses on Marine Terrace, Ocean Terrace, and Seaveiw Avenue,  to build condominiums without the agreement of the owners. Marine and Ocean Terraces, along with the houses on Seaveiw Avenue, are currently undergoing Phase II of the reconstruction. The new condos will block the gorgeous view of the ocean for many houses in the surrounding area. An organization called the Marine Terrace, Ocean Terrace, Seaveiw Avenue Alliance, or MTOTSA, has been fighting this act of Eminent Domain. Mayor Schneider does not think that the Supreme Court's decision or the MTOTSA's criticism will affect the plans, But the MTOTSA will not cease to fight for their legal rights. "Why should I have to change because someone else thinks we should?" asked Denise Hoagland, a resident in the re-development zone and a member of the MTOTSA. Many people think it is harsh and completely unfair that children and elders should be kicked out of there homes. Many teachers and children from Swimming River School have been interviewed. "First of all, it's other people's property." said Megan Brown, a fourth grader at Swimming River School. "And second, the government is always talking about this being a free country, and it's not if they destroy those houses." 

    Residential causes aren't the only reason of eminent domain. The government can force an owner to sell their house because a new highway is going to be built. We interviewed many children and adults who know about eminent domain. 

      Out of the 15 people we polled, all of them agreed that if Mayor Schneider were put in this situation, he would fight for his home to remain, too. 

     "I don’t think they should be forced out of their houses. My feeling is that it’s their house so they should have a choice”, said Jane Chmielewski, a teacher at Swimming River School . To find out how you can help stop this act in Long Branch, NJ, go to:        MTOTSA.com   

Main Project

    In February 2000, Maine’s highest court cleared the way for South Portland City officials to sell an expensive 1.45-acre piece of property near the Maine Mall, regardless of the objections of the previous owner, which had sued to take back ownership of the land. The City condemned the land in 1968, originally planning to build a fire station. The owner, a real estate business called South Portland Associates, was paid $7,300 at the time. However, the City finally determined that the site was badly located and too small for the project, so the property sat empty. After 30 years, the City decided it would sell the land, whose value had multiplied to $275,000. South Portland Associates sued on the grounds that state law forbids a city from using land taken through eminent domain for any purpose other than the originally stated public use. The City argued that the land legally belonged to the taxpayers and was purchased legally and in good faith. The trial court ruled that since Maine law neither sets deadlines for municipalities to use condemned land, nor spells out what happens when the municipality no longer wants to use the land, South Portland was able to sell the property to a private party. On February 18, 2000, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld that result, stating that the law places no limits on the City’s resale of the land, even at a great profit. The following year, the Maine legislature accepted a law letting former owners to buy back property taken by eminent domain but not used for the regular purpose of it being taken.