A Chicago angle on Kelo

What Kelo means for the Chicago area:

Local governments such as Chicago breathed a sigh of relief that they can continue planning economic development projects that sometimes require them to tear down homes and businesses.

Property owners in Chicago, Arlington Heights and Lake Zurich, like others around the country, had hoped a decision against the government would help their fights to keep their properties.

"This means your house is next -- you better find out who owns the property on both sides of you. If a developer owns the property on both sides of you, you're going to be gone," said Don Zordani, whose Sportif bike shop the city of Chicago wants to replace with a seven-story condominium. "We think we own something. We don't really own it. We're just leasing it on a long-term lease until the government wants it back."

Chicago Sun-Times