Spring is here, opening day for the Dodger’s is tomorrow. You may be surprised to learn that real estate played an important role in the Dodger’s move to LA. How? If you’ve studied real estate at all, you might be familiar with the term, eminent domain, which is how Dodger stadium came to be.

Here’s the story:

Chavez Ravine was named for Julian Chavez, by Los Angeles County Supervisors in the 1800s. It was home to generations of Mexican Americans. In 1950, the city of Los Angeles used the power of eminent domain to purchase the property in Chavez Ravine with the goal of building public housing on the land. The power of eminent domain allows the government to purchase property from private individuals in order to construct projects for the public good. The city planned to use the land to build 10,000 units of public housing and by August 1952, the residents were gone, and Chavez Ravine was a ghost town.

For a variety of reasons, in 1953 the LA City Council decided the housing project was not feasible. At the same time, the city desperately wanted its own major league team. With a promise of Chavez Ravine as the site of a new stadium, the city struck a deal with Walter O’Malley to move the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. City officials deemed a baseball stadium as serving the public good, and the rest is history.

Real estate plays a key role in much of our lives, from where you live, to your favorite sport. Have you ever thought about a career in real estate? If so, take a look around my website for information on how to start, or advance your real estate career.