December 18, 2007

Sacramento's K Street troubles

I am not a purist on the eminent domain issue, but quotes like those in today's SacBee story on the city's struggles with a downtown landowner who owns a bunch of vacant buildings don't convince me that public agencies need this power. The city is making a folk hero out of the guy they are trying to force from his land.

Excerpt:

City leaders think they've found the plan they're looking for in the proposal by Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden to rehabilitate the historic buildings in the 700 block of K Street into a retail row that includes big name tenants such as Sur La Table and Urban Outfitters.

"We're looking for more than a coat of paint and putting a tenant in the existing space," said Assistant City Manager John Dangberg. "We're looking for a major renovation of the buildings, both seismically and a reconfiguring of the space. Some of these (buildings) are 20 feet wide, and they're not going to lend themselves to the kind of retail we're trying to attract."

The landowner, Moe Mohanna, has brought in a coffeehouse, a Mexican restaurant and a pizza joint, all locally owned. I personally would like to see more retail and fewer restaurants in the area, but I don't own the property. And I am not sure the chain stores Mr. Dangberg has in mind are all that great. They are certainly not unique. I am also not comfortable with city officials saying they need to force out the current owners because their buildings as now configured are "not going to lend themselves to the kind of retail we're trying to attract."

The city should have found a way to settle this dispute a long time ago.

Posted by dweintraub on December 18, 2007 7:50 AM