UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — Some homeowners in University City don't want to sell their houses to make room for a nearly $200-million development.
The development has been two years in the making, but city leaders say it's still in the "early stages."
At the corner of Elmore Court you'll find the home of Patricia Howard.
Just off 170 and Olive in University City, people living in this University City neighborhood have a tough decision to make.
"It's OK now, I've accepted it, we've already started getting another home," said Howard.
Patricia and her husband agreed on taking a buyout from the developer of the nearly $200-million development the city approved last year.
"He thought it was pretty good for us and it gave us twice as much for the home than what it was worth," explained Howard.
But there's plenty of people living in town who say they're staying put after the city said they wouldn't be using eminent domain to condemn people's homes.
Businesses, however, are a different story.
"I don't know, it's ruining a lot of people's lives and as long as the city lets Novus continue to do this they'll keep doing it,"
Novus is the St. Charles based developer in charge of the project.
Ed Beyers said he's been in business 73 years and says like the storage business across the street, he's probably going to have to close soon because of the development.
"It was a good company, I mean everything was good over here until they started coming in here and talking about eminent domain," said Beyers.
Others in Howard's neighborhood still say they're not selling, leaving Howard worried the city will go back on their word and use eminent domain to condemn her neighbors' homes.
Today 5 On Your Side asked the city if they could guarantee they wouldn't use eminent domain on any situation regarding this development. They told us they can't guarantee they will never use eminent domain.
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