Feds hover over Granby Tower

Here's a twist on the recent Kelo land-grab Supreme Court ruling. The Federal Government wants to take a piece of land currently under development to the tune of $150 million and build a courthouse annex on it.

Granby Tower, which would have 309 condominiums priced from $250,000 to $2 million, would, at 450 feet, be the state’s second-tallest building. The development has been in the works for nearly two years.
[…]
Joseph T. Waldo, an attorney retained by the Granby Tower developer, said the U.S. General Services Administration, a federal agency that acquires office space for the government, approached his client about purchasing the site. Told it is not for sale, the agency hired an appraiser and has threatened to force the developers to sell through a court proceeding known as condemnation, Waldo said.

Not surprisingly, Norfolk officials are a little perturbed.

“I was astounded” to hear they wanted Gadams’ land, said (Norfolk Mayor Paul) Fraim, who added that the City Council will discuss the issue at today’s meeting.
Fraim said that in his last meeting with federal officials about expanding the courthouse, in late 2002, he was told there was no interest in that site.

So there it is. The feds are offered a piece of land and express "no interest" in it. Three years later, with development underway and tens of millions of dollars invested by the private sector, they threaten condemnation. I guess public use means highest tax revenue for local government unless the feds come calling. Mayor Fraim sums the whole thing up pretty succinctly:

“No one wants to get sideways with the federal government,” Fraim said. “But anybody in our position would be troubled by this. … To have made the decision without including the city in its discussions is very troubling. Their procrastination could end up costing the federal government many millions of additional dollars. Someone should be held responsible.”