Remember, eminent domain cases for these private endeavors only comes into play when people refuse an offer of payment.
Of course it is - it is far less complicated for developers to buy from a willing seller. Faster, fewer legal fees, less controversial, etc.
But that doesn’t make it OK. Property owners have every right to refuse an offer of payment. The government does not have the right to then take it from the unwilling property owner and hand it to the private developer. (Or should not, at least - Scalia was right about Kelo when he lumped it with Dred Scott and Korematsu as among the worst Supreme Court decisions ever)
These cases are so few and far between....it's really not such a big deal compared to what the government pulls....damn owl, stupid frog, wetlands...