Eminent Domain

Eminent Domain

Over the recent past, we have been involved in the successful negotiation or litigation of literally dozens of cases in eminent domain.  Representative recent cases include:

• We represented the City of Tukwila in the acquisition and condemnation of 13 separate properties to facilitate the construction of a new Public Works shop and a new Justice Center to house the City's municipal court and police station. These matters resulted in significant publicity as the result of displacing several small underprivileged business tenants. Working with City Staff, we successfully negotiated agreements with all tenants and property owners, and groundbreaking took place less than fifteen months after filing Petitions for Eminent Domain.

• Bellevue NE 4th Extension Improvements.  We represented the City of Bellevue regarding this important transportation improvement project that involved acquisitions from several significant commercial property owners, including Best Buy, Home Depot, the Port of Seattle and Burlington Northern Railroad. 
   
• Bellevue 120th Avenue NE Improvements.  We successfully represented the City of Bellevue in completing the Phase 1 acquisitions, including three petitions in eminent domain involving operating commercial and retail properties.  We are now working with the City on Phase 2, which involves two more petitions in eminent domain and several other acquisitions.
   
• Puyallup – 39th Avenue Extension.  We successfully negotiated with five commercial property owners for multi-million dollar total acquisitions necessary for construction of a new five lane street in the heart of the South Hill retail corridor, and obtained a highly favorable verdict after trial with the sixth property owner.  The project involved complex negotiations with WSDOT and private property owners in order to resolve multi-million dollar claims by the property owners that the project substantially impaired access to and from a state route and city streets.  Our services also resulted in the successful relocation and retention within the City of an operating bank and large home improvement center.
   
• Newcastle – Coal Creek Parkway and Transit Center Projects.  We represented Newcastle in this regionally significant project involving the completion of a four-lane arterial, which provides substantial congestion relief for traffic that would otherwise use Interstate 405.
   
• Sammamish – 244th Avenue Extension Project.  We represented Sammamish in the acquisition by both voluntary negotiation and eminent domain of four parcels to complete this important new north-south arterial necessary to relieve significant peak hour traffic congestion.