City, landowner in dispute over price of land

WAS OFFERING A LAND OWNER ON ALBUQUERQUE S WESTSIDE — SO IT CAN BUILD A MULTI- MILLION DOLLAR BUS STATION AND SHOPPING AREA BUT THE LANDOWNER SAYS THAT S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH JEFF MAHER IS HERE WITH A MONEY DEBATE THAT ULTIMATELY LANDED IN COURT DISTRICT JUDGE THERESA BACA SIDED WITH THE CITY IN THIS LAND DISPUTE NOW THE CITY CAN START BUILDING THE WESTSIDE TRANSIT CENTER NEAR UNSER AND CENTRAL BUT IT S NOT OVER YET THE LAND OWNER IS STILL THINKS HIS PROPERTY IS WORTH MORE A BUS STOP IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY THING YOU SEE RIGHT NOW AT THE FUTURE SITE OF THE WESTSIDE TRANSIT CENTER BUT BY 2010 YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE A NEW AND IMPROVED PARK AND RIDE SHOPS AND POSSIBLY A NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY AND A U-N-M-H CLINIC WHAT CITY OFFICIALS HAD NOT PLANNED ON — WAS A NASTY LAND DISPUTE THAT TURNED INTO A LAWSUIT AND IF THE CITY HAD LOST THAT — THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BIG TROUBLE we would have scaled back on the project there would have been some real concerns with UNMH because they will be acquiring 2 acres of the property IT ALL STARTED WHEN THE LAND OWNER POSTED A FOR SALE SIGN ON FIVE ACRES OF EMPTY LAND THE CITY APPRAISED IT AND OFFERED HIM JUST OVER ONE-MILLION DOLLARS CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE LAND OWNER HAD A DIFFERENT FIGURE IN MIND — MORE LIKE THREE-POINT-SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS AFTER THE LAND OWNER REJECTED THE CITY S OFFER THE CITY FILED A LAWSUIT TO TAKE THE LAND AND CONDEMNED IT A POWER IT HAS WHEN DEALING WITH LAND FOR PUBLIC USE JUDGE BACA SIDED WITH THE CITY MEANTIME THE LAND OWNER IS FIGHTING FOR A BIGGER CHECK THAT FIGHT WILL LAND HIM AND THE CITY BACK IN COURT right now we re not sure what we re going to pay for the property but I think in these economic times that the property is not worth more than 1 3 million dollars but that will be decided by a judge and a jury THE CITY IS PLANNING TO BREAK GROUND ON THE PROJECT NEXT JUNE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM THE LAND OWNER S ATTORNEY