Proactive Approach Results in Favorable Outcome for the Centennial Corridor Project

Tasked with delivering one of the region’s most important transportation projects, the City of Bakersfield (City) turned to Nossaman for assistance.

They asked for our help with early project planning, addressing environmental challenges and acquiring the necessary property interests for the Centennial Corridor Project.

The $600 million Centennial Corridor Project will construct a new alignment and provide route continuity and traffic congestion relief for State Route 58 from Cottonwood Road on existing State Route 58 (East) to Interstate 5.  This controversial and time-sensitive project required the acquisition of 400+ part and full take property interests and the relocation of approximately 300 residential occupants and more than 150 businesses.  We successfully defended environmental challenges brought by local groups to keep the project on track.  We also advised the City with pre-condemnation planning and mitigation efforts to minimize parcel impacts and claims for damages, in addition to filing eminent domain actions when necessary.

Working closely with project staff and the City’s right-of-way consultants, all but a handful of the 400+ parcels were acquired voluntarily with the successful relocation of all occupants and businesses, without the need for eminent domain litigation.  When eminent domain cases were filed, we secured possession for timely deliver of parcels and successfully concluded the matters for well below the defendants’ claims for damages, and often at or just above the City’s appraised values.  Our out-of-the-box approach and mitigation planning resulted in acquisition of several part take parcels involving creative solutions and settlement without the need for payment of damages.