AT&T Stadium, 2005-2009
Arlington used eminent domain and demolition to clear land for the Cowboys stadium. Property owners sued, arguing the public-purpose claim mainly benefited a private billionaire-led stadium project.
Sports-Led Displacement Is Not New.
These examples are not identical to Burnham Yard. They show the recurring pattern: land assembly, public tools, tax promises, redevelopment pressure, and residents who have to fight to be included after the deal has momentum.
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Barclays Center, 2012
Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards project used redevelopment authority and eminent domain to assemble land for an arena and luxury development, sparking years of court fights and community opposition.
SoFi Stadium, 2020
Inglewood was not a classic eminent-domain stadium case, but housing advocates and researchers link the stadium district to rent spikes, speculative buying, and pressure on longtime Black and Latino residents.
Choctaw Stadium, 1991-1994
Before the Cowboys fight, Arlington had already used public stadium powers for the Texas Rangers ballpark, including land assembly around the site for parking and future development.
Chavez Ravine, 1959
Chavez Ravine remains the symbolic warning: public power cleared Mexican American families from their homes, and a stadium later rose where a neighborhood had been.
When negotiation works
Protections Can Be Built In.
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 2017
Atlanta was not perfect, and the stadium still raised displacement concerns around Vine City and English Avenue. But it also shows what stronger negotiation can produce: the Westside Future Fund anti-displacement tax fund pays qualifying legacy homeowners' property-tax increases, Home on the Westside supports affordable rental and homeownership options, and a resident-shaped Westside plan created a framework for growth without pushing people out.
Take action
No Stadium Deal Without a Public CBA.
Email City Council, call 720-337-2000, and show up at town halls. Ask for public terms, binding protections, and proof that residents and fans are not being pushed out.