Anti–eminent domain activists join north side community group’s cause
The North Side Community Benefits Alliance (NSCBA) has little more than a month to convince the north Saint Louis community, not to mention the rest of the city and the Saint Louis Board of Aldermen, that a proposed $8 billion redevelopment of the area is untenable at best.
At worst, NSCBA members have said, the proposed redevelopment is designed to uproot the current residents of the north side and replace them with more affluent residents, at the city’s expense.
The north side developer, Paul McKee, will present his application for $410 million in tax increment financing (TIF) from the city on September 23. That day, the NSCBA hopes to get a large turnout of redevelopment critics to speak publicly against the measure.
Their strategy to build opposition to the redevelopment and persuade activists to turn out at the hearing places a focus on eminent domain, a process by which the government can take property from its owner for “public improvement.
On Thursday, the NSCBA hosted a forum at Shining Light Pentecostal Church to discuss the nature of eminent domain and how it has been used in the past. Nearly 70 people attended to hear speeches by NSCBA leaders and guest anti–eminent domain activists Jim Roos, known for painting the large “End Eminent Domain Abuse” mural that is visible from eastbound Highway 44, and Christina Walsh, the Institute for Justice’s director of activism and coalitions.
Eminent domain has become more controversial in recent years as its use by government officials has expanded from acquiring land for things like roads to taking land from some in order to give it to others who say they can put that land to a better use.
“What can’t be replaced by something bigger and newer?” said Walsh, who came from Washington D.C. to attend the meeting. “We could replace the Mayor of Saint Louis’ house with something bigger and newer.”
In the case of the north side development, more than 2,400 properties are listed as those the redevelopment company needs to acquire for its $8 billion project. The church at which Thursday’s forum was held is on that list. In fact, at least 10 other churches, including the Grace Baptist Church on Cass Avenue, less than a mile away from Shining Light Pentecostal, are also on the list.
“Who can ever think that someone would propose to take this lovely church?” asked Romona Taylor Williams, NSCBA board member. “It’s a …” she stopped short, then continued. “It’s not right,” she said.
Though eminent domain is an issue, the use of it may be limited to a small number of residents.
Within the TIF application submitted by NorthSide Regeneration LLC, the redevelopment company noted that it would use eminent domain to acquire less than 5 percent of the total redevelopment area’s acreage from owners who still live on their north side properties and are unwilling to sell.