Media Advisory

May a city government declare homes and small businesses in an attractive, well-kept neighborhood ?blighted,? bulldoze them, and then hand the land on which they stood to a private developer?

In Lakewood, Ohio—and in towns and cities across the nation—local bureaucrats believe the answer is ?yes,? but the owners of 18 homes and small businesses in Lakewood’s West End neighborhood are hoping to prove them wrong. In a news conference at 2 p.m. today on the steps of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Justice and Lakewood homeowners will announce a lawsuit challenging the City of Lakewood’s designation of ?blight? in the West End neighborhood, aiming to prevent the City from condemning these homes and businesses and handing the land to private developers.

At 6 p.m. today on the steps of Lakewood City Hall, Lakewood property owners will hold a rally to protest the development plan that threatens their homes and businesses. The rally will take place immediately prior to a Lakewood City Council meeting at which City Council members are scheduled to vote on an agreement with developers.