It’s been roughly two years since Clarksville officials filed a complaint in state court to take the historic former Colgate-Palmolive property by eminent domain.
The filing came after town officials expressed concern that the buildings were falling into disrepair and that the longtime owner had failed to move forward on development plans. Town officials feared that if action wasn’t taken to preserve the historic structures, they might need to be demolished.
It also followed a $6 million offer from the town to buy the property.
The case has since moved to federal court, and negotiations continue toward an agreement to develop the property.
Morgan Ward, an attorney representing property owner Clarks Landing Enterprise Investments, LLC, said in an email to LPM News earlier this month that the owner has invested “millions of dollars into preserving the property” and that talks have been ongoing with the town for development plans.
He said if they reach an agreement with the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission, the property owner anticipates breaking ground on the first project, an Aloft Hotel, as soon as possible.
The plans also include multi-family housing and other uses.
“We are very excited about the continued development of the property,” Ward said. He added that it’s worth “more than ten times the amount originally offered by the town.”
He said there are also tenants using the space.
According to court records, attorneys for the property owner argue Clarksville’s basis for taking the property isn’t valid.
They say the statute attorneys for Clarksville are using “allows such a taking under very limited circumstances, including a finding that the subject property is ‘blighted.’”
“Simply put…Clarks Landing’s property is not blighted.”
Clarksville officials have said their main motivation isn’t to own the property long term. Instead, they want to see the historic site — which once housed a state prison — preserved and developed. The building that holds the famous Colgate Clock is at the head of what’s now Main Street in Clarksville’s developing new downtown area.
Greg Fifer, one of the attorneys representing the town, officials wouldn’t have gone the route of trying to take the property if they were seeing movement there.
“We never would have done this if the property was being developed,” Fifer recently told LPM News.
Boston Development Group, LLC bought the former plant in 2011, a few years after Colgate had stopped operations there. In 2014, they transferred it to the current owner, Clarks Landing, which is affiliated.
Town officials approved a development plan for the site in 2019 that included the Aloft Hotel.
Ward, representing Clarks Landing, said in the email that the COVID-19 pandemic initially delayed those plans, but said “there has been much progress.”
The parties met via phone for a status conference with the judge earlier this week. The meeting included discussion on new dates to move the case forward. Part of the call was closed for them to confidentially discuss the status of negotiations.
Attorneys confirmed Friday both parties are still in talks.
“I feel reasonably confident that this will be worked out with the Town of Clarksville,” Ward said.
Attorneys met in February 2024 for a settlement conference and made plans for ongoing negotiations.
Certain deadlines in the case have been temporarily put on hold, as they’ve worked toward an agreement. That stay has now been officially lifted.
On this week’s call, attorneys discussed their proposal for dates to move the case forward. That includes potential in January or February 2026 for the judge to hear information and make a decision on whether Clarksville can take the property.
Erica Sullivan, representing Clarksville, said in the status conference the town’s timeline was more realistic, and that it “has a little bit more built in time for parties to resolve disputes on their own…”
Justin Endres, an attorney for Clarks Landing, said they’d like to get things moving sooner than later.
Fifer, with Clarksville, said recently it’s important to get the evidentiary hearing scheduled, but the parties could still negotiate and ultimately resolve the case in the meantime.
“I think that the town is still willing to negotiate during that period,” Fifer said earlier this month before the case management plans were submitted. “They just don't want the case dismissed for lack of movement.”
If the case makes it to an evidentiary hearing and if the judge finds the town is authorized to take the property, the court will appoint three appraisers to determine just compensation from the town for the property, Fifer said.
At that point, one or both parties have 45 days to object to the appraisals and call for damages to be decided at trial.
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