Long Beach Seeking To Take Church Property For Condos

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo decision, Baptist Press reported yesterday on the beginnings of a controversial attempt by redevelopment officials in Long Beach, California to use eminent domain to acquire the church building of the Filipino Baptist Fellowship. On March 13, the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency Board voted 6-0 to condemn the church in order to build condominiums, despite opposition from many community members. The church's attorney, John Eastman, director of The Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, said proving that the taking is for a public use would be simple for the city because a church is tax-exempt and a housing project would bring in tax revenue.