The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) needs to purchase a total of 146 full or partial properties along the path of the Honolulu Rail Project. Currently, the city has spent $61 million to purchase 67 properties west of Honolulu. While in most cases, owners and business in the city of Honolulu itself are willing to cooperate with HART, there have been some challenges, especially with the need to build the rail in such a tight time frame. This means that eminent domain may be used to acquire the properties. Dan Grabauskas, the executive director of HART, stated, "We won't hold up the project. If our negotiations haven't gone to where they need to be, or aren't going in the right direction, then we may concurrently file for eminent domain."
Under city and state law, when the government needs to build large public works projects such as a new highway, or in this case, the government has a right to acquire any private properties in its path. The government is then required to give "fair compensation" to the owner, but what is fair to the government may not be considered to be fair by an individual. HART has announced that they have already contacted all of the property owners whose land may be affected and are will be entering discussion with all of them shortly.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-20-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
