[Nfbmo] City Utilities could use eminent domain to acquire a key tract of land for the new bus transfer station downtown

Gary Horchem ghorchem at gary-springfield-mo.net
Fri Apr 17 20:16:17 UTC 2009


Hi it’s Gary Horchem form Spring I found an article in the News Leader
concerning the possible location for the new city bus transfer station in
downtown Springfield

 

“The vacant land is owned by Springfield businesswoman Becky Spence and is
the former site of the Arbor Hotel at 505 St. Louis St.

A resolution authorizing the utility to use eminent domain to obtain
Spence's land is on the agenda at today's CU board retreat. Eminent domain
is a process that allows government entities to buy private property even if
the owner is unwilling to sell.

CU attorney John Black said negotiations with Spence are preferable to using
eminent domain and "will be explored until exhausted."

He emphasized there are a lot of "ifs."

"If this resolution is presented to the board and if it is approved, it will
be acted on only if negotiations fail," Black said.

The News-Leader repeatedly tried to reach Spence for a comment, but she
didn't return the calls.

According to the resolution, acquiring Spence's property "is within the
public purposes and mission of City Utilities."

Black said the property's fair market value has been determined by a
certified appraiser, and a review of that appraisal was required by the
Federal Transit Administration, which is contributing $3.12 million toward
the project. CU officials said Thursday they would not release the appraised
amount of the property until a deal is reached.

Records at the Greene County Assessor's office show property, slightly less
than one acre, has a commercial value of $131,500.

The proposed bus transfer station includes three tracts at the corner of St.
Louis and Benton Avenue -- directly north of the Discovery Center.

CU has reached contracts with two of the property owners and will pay
$305,000 for one tract and $510,000 for the other.

However, those purchases are contingent on CU reaching a deal with Spence
for the third tract.

The nearly $5 million bus transfer station would replace the current
facility west of Park Central Square which CU says has become too congested.

According to the utility, the current site also wouldn't accommodate the
larger buses CU eventually hopes to acquire”.

 




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