RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (AP) – A new eminent domain case is brewing in Connecticut as Ridgefield officials prepare to take private property to be used for corporate office space.

The developer, Eureka V, is seeking to build 510 townhouses and apartments on 154 acres. The proposal would require a zoning change because the property is now zoned for commercial development.

A town official cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling last month that widens eminent domain power, granting local governments broad rights to seize private property to generate tax revenue. The court ruled on an appeal from a New London property owner.

John Katz, vice chairman of the Ridgefield Planning and Zoning Commission, said it seems the Supreme Court ruling could “well benefit towns in the taking of unimproved lands.”

But he said he believed the decision regarding New London was disturbing.

“I think it is disastrous for what it means to the taking of private homes for the spurious goals of economic development,” Katz said.

“What passes for economic development today has been seen to be cyclical and there is nothing cyclical about residential displacement of a population.”

Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi offered to buy the land from Eureka V in 2001 for $2.7 million. He told the developer that if necessary the town would take the property using eminent domain.

Eureka V sought an injunction in federal court to halt the eminent domain move and accused Ridgefield of violating the federal fair housing law by trying to prevent Eureka from building houses for people with school-age children.

Eureka has since sought a zoning change, which will be the subject of a Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday.

Marconi said he is confident the town will eventually have the property and will go ahead with plans to build 600,000 square feet of corporate office space.

“It is now clear that if Ridgefield is victorious in federal court, which we feel we will be, then we can proceed with an eminent domain taking of the property,” Marconi said.

The Danbury News-Times reported that lawyers for Eureka V could not be reached for comment Friday.

Marconi said the New London case is different than Ridgefield’s situation.

The property being considered for eminent domain taking is zoned for corporate development and is vacant, he said.

“There would be no displaced families,” Marconi said.

Ridgefield has taken land from Eureka V once before. In December 2000, the town took 458 acres paid Eureka V and paid $12.2 million.

The property was sold to the state Department of Environmental Protection and is being maintained as open space.