MN Appeals Court Upholds Eagan Land Seizure

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld a lower-court decision allowing the city of Eagan to seize land for development.

The city is planning a $215 million redevelopment of a former shopping center area. It has razed and relocated most of the businesses in the area, but several argued that the city had no right to condemn their land for the development.

A Dakota County judge had ruled in favor of the city.

The Court of Appeals initially reversed that decision in favor of the landowners. It said the city first needed to have a binding agreement with a developer.

But the Minnesota Supreme Court disagreed. It ordered the Appeals Court to reconsider the case on other grounds.

The Star Tribune says the Appeals Court sided with the city Tuesday.