Even more on eminent domain -- DC style

H Street Connection, 8th and H Streets NE, Washington, DC. Photo by Elise Bernard.

A big pending eminent domain case in DC is exactly like the New London case--eradicating an extant shopping center, Skyland, in Ward 7, to build an "even better one."

In the vein of Sam Smith "those that are eminent get the domain" the project is to be given to the Rappaport Companies of Virginia--for a song.

Rappaport Companies were given another property for very little money in the early 1980s.

That property is now the H Street Connection.

If anything, it should be defined as blight and be seized as well. It's dirty--or we could say politely "it's undermaintained"--and the parking-fronted design contributes to safety and disorder issues, and creates a vacuum--negative space--in the rhythm of the street. It is fully leased up though, and most of the businesses use roll down security gates, further increasing the negative contribution of this complex to safety and perceptions of safety on the H Street corridor.

Granted a goodly part of the trash in this vicinity is contributed by the four bus stops here that connect the 90s buses to the X buses at 8th and H Streets.

But still, you'd think that they would put more money into maintaining the property.

Given this kind of track record, they shouldn't be deemed fit to receive more gifts from the government.

But Rappaport is connected. He is a past chairman of the industry trade association, International Council of Shopping Centers.

I'm sure that has nothing to do with this.

(Also see my blog entry from Sunday, April 10, 2005, "City Business as usual--land giveaways, diminishing urban design.")