What Would You Do To Xanadu? (Or, Can “The Ugliest Damn Building in New Jersey, And Maybe America,” Be Fixed?)

by: Michael L. Rich

(Everyone seems to have an opinion about Xanadu, but we want to know what you would do to fix it. Share your ideas with us in the comments section below.)

The controversy surrounding Xanadu, an unfinished $2 billion mall project in East Rutherford, New Jersey, rages on. Governor Chris Christie has called the building “an offense to the eyes as you drive up the turnpike.” The Governor recently went further, proclaiming: “It’s by far the ugliest damn building in New Jersey, and maybe America.” Many share the Governor’s view.

Xanadu is a 2.3 million square foot, nearly completed retail and entertainment mall adjacent to the Meadowlands sports complex. Its walls are made up of multi-colored horizontal rectangles and vertical stripes, including varying shades of blue, green and orange. It includes an indoor ski slope rising at a pronounced angle above the rest of the structure. Detractors have pejoratively likened the facade to stacked shipping containers, bar codes or Lego blocks.

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Constructive Changes To Construction Lien Law

Perfecting a construction lien in New Jersey is a complicated and time-sensitive undertaking. However, recent amendments to New Jersey’s Construction Lien Law have improved the process, although it still remains rife with traps for the unwary. Effective January 5, 2011, the amendments set forth a new time line for perfecting liens arising from residential construction contracts, clarifies key concepts relative to the Law’s application, and provides new definitions to aid in the Law’s interpretation. The amendments clarify certain aspects of the law which, to this point, had been difficult for contractors and lawyers alike to navigate. Explore the implications of the new amendments in the article New Jersey’s Construction Lien Law Undergoes Renovation by Peter J. Wolfson and Steven P. Gouin.

Imminent Changes To Eminent Domain In New Jersey?

The Asbury Park Press reports on the latest efforts to reform New Jersey's eminent domain law. In the five years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London— which upheld the government's right to take land for private redevelopment — 43 states have revised their eminent domain laws, but New Jersey has not yet done so. On October 7, 2010, a proposal passed the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee that would revise New Jersey's current eminent domain law to require additional notification and hearing requirements in an effort to protect homeowners. The measure's sponsor touts the proposal as an effective balance between residents' rights and local government's ability to redevelop blighted areas. Critics have emerged on both sides of the issue – with some saying it goes to far, and others complaining that it doesn't go far enough towards meaningful reform. As the article notes, the bill "requires at least four additional approvals before it could get to Gov. Chris Christie's desk," so it remains to be seen whether the latest efforts at eminent domain reform will come to fruition or die on the vine as they have in the past.

Iminent Changes To Eminent Domain In New Jersey?

The Asbury Park Press reports on the latest efforts to reform New Jersey's eminent domain law. In the five years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London— which upheld the government's right to take land for private redevelopment — 43 states have revised their eminent domain laws, but New Jersey has not yet done so. On October 7, 2010, a proposal passed the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee that would revise New Jersey's current eminent domain law to require additional notification and hearing requirements in an effort to protect homeowners. The measure's sponsor touts the proposal as an effective balance between residents' rights and local government's ability to redevelop blighted areas. Critics have emerged on both sides of the issue – with some saying it goes to far, and others complaining that it doesn't go far enough towards meaningful reform. As the article notes, the bill "requires at least four additional approvals before it could get to Gov. Chris Christie's desk," so it remains to be seen whether the latest efforts at eminent domain reform will come to fruition or die on the vine as they have in the past.