Port of Tacoma wants private land to expand: Tacoma WA News Tribune, 5/15/07

By Kelly Kearsley
The Port of Tacoma says its needs more than 30 pieces of privately owned property on the east side of the Blair Waterway to develop marine cargo terminals.

And – if necessary – the port will use its power of eminent domain to force the sale of the land, said Bob Emerson, the port's senior director of real estate and industrial development.

The landowners affected by the port's expansion – 22 in total – received letters this week notifying them of the situation and of a Port of Tacoma commission meeting.

At that meeting, the commissioners will vote whether to authorize the port's use of eminent domain to acquire the properties, if negotiations between the port and the individual landowners fall through.

The properties affected total 130 acres.

The port may not physically need the land for two or three years, but Emerson said the port wants to be certain that the land will be available for development.

Many of the businesses will need to relocate, though a few should be able to reconfigure their operations on their current site, Emerson said.

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Tacoma WA News Tribune: http://www.thenewstribune.com