Vera Coking offered to SELL her little home in what was then a crime ridden slum neighborhood for $1 million to the developer ~ BOB GUCCIONE.
I'm sure Michelle knows who he is.
It was Bob who had the idea for turning Vera's plot into a parking area for limousines.
Anyway, Vera beat Bob. Complained constantly about the construction noise (trying to keep Bob from exercising his own property rights, and his right to make money).
Finally he threw in the towel and abandoned the property leaving empty steel girders hanging in the air over Vera's "million dollar lot" ~
The Redevelopment Authority sought another developer to restart the job. They found Trump ~ and he agreed but with some changes. His organization said they needed a bigger site, more rooms, etc. and he doubled what was planned. That plan did not need Vera's lot. Anyway, Trump built his casino, hundreds of people got jobs, and life has moved on. Oh, yeah, Trump took down the steel that Bob had put up ~ it just didn't work.
Trump offered Vera $250,000 for her otherwise worthless lot. She refused. I guess she still thinks that after all the development that's taken place around her that her "rents by the hour" 3 story hovel of a hotel is still worth a million bucks.
Hmmm.
Did she say that was her home? Well, she's there, but there those people who come and go.
I dare the editors at National Review Online to stay at Vera's overnight, and take Michelle with you. Jus do it. Do it. Take your I-pads and do it!
The Redevelopment Authority went to court to go ahead and take Vera's lot ~ way back when Bob Guccione was still trying to redevelop this slum.
That's the case Vera won ~ that the Authority didn't have the power of Eminent Domain. The City does though, and considering the excess redevelopment costs Vera laid on the taxpayers of Atlantic City, they might do that anyway ~ and just strip her bare and nekkid (Eeeeekk!)
excellent post - nice to see some facts around here
And that’s...the rest of the story.