What is the difference between a public use and economic development?

Eminent domain law in Washington allows the government to take private property and use it for public use or economic development. Public use is when the property is used for a purpose that has a direct benefit to the public, such as building a school or a road. Economic development is when the government can take a person’s property for a project that is meant to stimulate the economy, such as constructing a shopping center or a hotel. The public use is more of a direct benefit to the public, since it is being used for a specific public purpose, while economic development is more indirect; it is often used to spur economic growth in a given area, but not necessarily providing a direct benefit to the public. For example, a shopping center may create jobs and generate local taxes, but it is not a public benefit in the same way as a new school. In Washington, the state Supreme Court has held that public use can include economic development projects that are mainly meant to benefit the public, but the government must show that the proposed project is the only reasonable way to achieve the stated public benefit. Additionally, the government must acquire the property for a reasonable price and must prove that the economic benefits of the project outweigh the costs.

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What is the difference between a public use and economic development?

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