In 2005, the US Supreme Court issued one of its most
controversial decisions. In Kelo v. City of New London, the Court
held that it was not unconstitutional to use the power of eminent
domain to take homes and other private property and transfer the
property to private entities for economic development. It found
that economic development was a "public purpose" which,
therefore, satisfied the Fifth Amendment "public use"
requirement.
Although the taking was held to be constitutional, the
extraordinary public reaction caused the City of New London to
abandon the project. 8 years later, the property remains vacant.
Last year, New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio issued an apology
to former Fort Trumbull property owners and announced a
restructuring of the New London Development Corp. The NLDC was
renamed the Renaissance City Development Association, and earlier
this month, the leadership of the board changed. Linda Mariani, a
lifelong resident of the city and an
