Build it and they...will take it

You may remember City Utilities announced it's considering using eminent domain to build a new bus terminal where the Arbor Inn used to be in downtown Springfield. The owner of that land is fighting back. On Wednesday, CU announced it's willing to renew discussions with Becky Spence. Her dream is to build a luxury hotel that would be the tallest building in Springfield. Spence says when CU made it known it wanted to take her land, she tried to compromise. She says she met with CU managers, offering a portion of the land for the bus terminal. The rest would be for her hotel. Spence says City Utilities rejected the offer. She says she was surprised when CU brought up eminent domain because a study commissioned by CU to find an ideal piece of land ranked her property pretty low on the list. That's because the land sits 22 feet below street level. The bus station is required to be on street level. Spence says she declared bankruptcy as a last resort, knowing that eminent domain cannot touch a land protected by bankruptcy...KOLR-TV

It's a sad situation when a person has to declare bankruptcy to protect their property.

Hat Tip: OpenMarket