Oneida County holds eminent domain public hearing for downtown Utica hospital project

Four property owners refuse to sell in order for the city to build a 1,050 space parking garage to accompany the new MVHS hospital development.

Held a virtual hearing on the possibility of taking properties with eminent domain.

Newschannel2's chelsea sherrod joins us live here in studio with the details.

Good evening chelsea.

Good evening caitlin, currently four property owners in downtown utica are defending their assets and have not reached a sales agreement with the health system for a public parking garage to accompany the new m-v-h-s building.

Now, the oneida county department of law is considering moving towards eminent domain to acquire the land.

Eminient domain is a right of a government to take private property for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of the soverign power over all lands within its jurisdiction.

-- the properties in jeopardy of being acquired through eminent domain are 525-527 oriskany street, 400-406 lafayette street, 442 lafayette street, and 418-430 lafayette street in order to build the one thousand 50 space, 3 -level parking garage.

-- the oneida county commissioner of public works says there is no other space that could serve the new developments downtown.

-- local gov't officials and business owners say they dont believe this garage is needed.

Celeste friend: it's not at all obvious that it's necessary and i think using eminent domain to seize privatprerty fromts citins for a projt thathas not e public to be necessary it's extremely inappropriate.

Timothy julian: eminent domain should not be used in this case.

Private public development took place after the fact eminent domain is being proposed to take private property from individuals who have a right to ownership.in this case the proposed project will not market and if wanted maybe place in other reasonable locations where other parking garage's exist.

Back in 2019, the no hospital downtown group and the landmarks society of greater utica filed a law suit against the city and m-v-h-s to stop construction of the new hospital.

That lawsuit was dismissed by state supreme court back in october.

According to a health system offical, the m-v-h-s hospital should be complete by may 2023.

Caitlin.

Upwards of 15 percent of utica firefighters