Leonard, Street and Deinard attorneys will help you acquire land for development and rights-of-way in a cost-effective and thorough manner. Our team of eminent domain, real estate, environmental, tax and energy attorneys has broad experience in land acquisition and corridor assembly, including:

• Prosecution and defense of eminent domain cases involving complex issues of valuation and constitutional and statutory authority to take private property
• Structure and management of voluntary land acquisition programs run in tandem with the exercise of condemning authority
• Quick-take condemnation actions
• Negotiating and drafting option agreements and easements
• Land-use and environmental permits
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Title examination, analysis, and clearance
• Governmental relations and lobbying

We understand how to coordinate the work of project engineers, civil engineers, right-of-way professionals, land service companies, title companies and local counsel in completing corridor acquisition and assembly projects. 

 

The following examples are representative of our experience:

• Represented Hennepin County in assembly of the land for the new Minnesota Twins ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, including condemnation of most of the land required. The case is the largest single parcel condemnation case in Minnesota history.
  
  County of Hennepin v. Land Partners II, LLLP, et al.
  Hennepin County District Court, File No. 27-CV-06-19732

• Represented Williams Pipeline in development of new petroleum pipeline in Dakota County. Worked cooperatively with right of way professionals at Williams Pipeline to acquire easements through negotiation and eminent domain proceedings.
  
  Williams Pipeline Company v. Lawrence N. Schweich, et al.
  Dakota County District Court, File No. 19-C9-00-6621

• Currently represent multiple parcel owners in connection with CapX2020 high voltage electric transmission line project. CapX2020 is the largest transmission line project currently pending in the state of Minnesota. It is a joint initiative of 11 transmission-owning utilities to construct hundreds of miles of transmission line.

• Represented DM&E Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railway in the acquisition and assembly (via acquisition and condemnation) of hundreds of land parcels in South Dakota and Wyoming for the development of a 162-mile-long new railroad alignment.

• Represented Center Point Energy Resources in the acquisition of easements in Anoka and Hennepin Counties through condemnation for a gas pipeline. In addition to representing the utility in connection with establishing the value of the easements, we negotiated complex easement terms relating to environmental and hazardous waste issues.
  
  CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation v. BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., et al.
  Anoka District Court File No. 02-CV-08-13
  CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation v. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, et al.
  Anoka District Court File No. 02-CV-08-2132
  CenterPoint Energy Resources Corporation v. CUE Properties, LLC; et al.
  Hennepin District Court File No. 27-CV-08-174

• Represented the Saint Paul Port Authority in connection with the Phalen Corridor redevelopment project. The national award-winning redevelopment project involved remediation of more than 100 acres of brownfields, approximately $600 million in public and private investment, public/private partnerships with several governmental agencies and departments, and the development of new transit and transportation improvements. 

• Represented multi-national corporation in acquisition of financing of paper mills in Minnesota and Michigan, including environmental due diligence, transfer of riparian rights related to watermills and timber rights.

• Represented a school district in acquisition through condemnation of all land necessary for a new indoor sports facility at Lake Street near Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis so that school children and residents would have a state-of-the-art urban recreational facility.
  
  Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, Minnesota v. Truco, Inc., et al.
  Hennepin County District Court, File No. CD-2510

• Represented Scott County Community Development Authority in acquisition through eminent domain proceedings the land necessary for a county housing and redevelopment authority senior housing and library project.
  
  Scott County Housing and Redevelopment Authority v. Gerald W. and Laure Fischer; et al.
  Scott County District Court File No. 70 CV 06 10621