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Gores get $494,000 settlement
Published February 6, 2009
FREEPORT — The six-year eminent domain battle that has divided Freeport is “officially over” after city officials cut and handed two checks to the Gore family at City Hall, Mayor Larry McDonald said.
On Wednesday, Gore family members picked up checks of $406,887 and $87,053 to Western Seafood Co. and Western Shellfish Co., respectively, city Finance Director Bob Welch said. The money was for the $493,940 settlement to offset the Gores’ legal fees. Both parties settled on the figure in January.
“That just goes to show you that we’ve worked through the Trico deal, we’ve worked through the Wanda Jones case and now we’ve worked through the Gores’ case,” McDonald said. “If not, this place would have been still tied up in the court system, so I’m just glad to get it all over with so we can go forward now and get these darn docks and things built.”
Wright Gore III, whose family owns both Brazos Street businesses, said it’s great to put the issue behind them.
“All I’ve ever wanted was to be left alone, and I’m just thrilled at being able to get back to work,” Gore said. “Every dime went to Western Seafood’s attorneys. We still lost several hundred thousand dollars as a result of these lawsuits, but we’re glad that it’s over and the FEDC decided it’s not necessary to have Western Seafood’s property.”
Over the past year, the Freeport Economic Development Corp. has settled claims with Trico Marine and Wanda Jones, along with the Gore family. It paid about $500,000 to Trico Marine and $195,000 to Jones.
The legal battles began in 2003 after the corporation attempted to use eminent domain to obtain property — which included the Gores’ property, Trico Marine and Jones’ land — to build a marina. Officials began discussing the Freeport marina project with the idea it would help jump-start a revitalization in the port city. But since then, people in town have debated its need.
Corporation Vice President Clan Cameron said the settlement check hand-off was a relief, but was unhappy with the lawsuit’s length.
“It’s been a tremendous cost to the taxpayers,” said Cameron, who also is a city councilman. “It’s been a tremendous cost to the Gores. It’s not like they made any money off of it. It’s a lose-lose situation.”
The exchange frees up about $200,000 the corporation can use on other projects, corporation President Dan Tarver said. In court battles, judges ruled the corporation needed to hold $700,000 to purchase the Gore property if the lawsuit couldn’t be resolved.
Both parties still need to exchange paperwork, which could happen next week, Gore said.
“It turns out that it was a good financial decision, above all, for the FEDC,” Gore said. “But it’s great for us, too, because now we don’t have this gun to our heads anymore.”
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