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Planned Parenthood takes back accusation city of Des Moines used eminent domain to acquire book sale warehouse

Planned Parenthood takes back accusation city of Des Moines used eminent domain to acquire book sale warehouse
CARE ARE WELCOME. THERE. WELL, THE DECADES OLD, PLANNED PARENTHOOD BOOK SALE IS COMING TO AN END NEXT MONTH. PLANNED PARENTHOOD ORIGINALLY SAID THE WAREHOUSE WHERE THEY STORE ALL THE BOOKS IS BEING ACQUIRED BY THE CITY OF DES MOINES UNDER EMINENT DOMAIN. BUT AS KCCI BEAU BOWMAN EXPLAINS, THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. NO, TODD THE CITY SAYS ACQUIRING THIS PIECE OF LAND WAS CRUCIAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON SECOND AVENUE, AND THEY’VE BEEN WORKING WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT FOR MONTHS. IT’S WITH MIXED EMOTIONS AND A HEAVY HEART THAT WE ARE ANNOUNCING THE END OF THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD BOOK SALE. THAT’S THE STATEMENT PLANNED PARENTHOOD SENT OUT MONDAY AFTERNOON ANNOUNCING THE END OF THEIR 60 YEAR OLD BOOK SALE, CLAIMING THE CITY OF DES MOINES PLANS TO ACQUIRE THEIR WAREHOUSE NEAR THE CORNER OF CLARKE STREET AND SECOND AVENUE USING EMINENT DOMAIN. THAT’S THE STORY THEY STUCK WITH UNTIL 4:00 ON TUESDAY WHEN THEY SENT KCCI A FOLLOW UP STATEMENT SAYING THAT THE CITY IN FACT, QUOTE, MADE A FAIR OFFER FOR THE WAREHOUSE TO AVOID THE EMINENT DOMAIN PROCESS. AND SO WE REACHED AN AGREEMENT IN MAY OF CITY ENGINEER STEPHEN NEIGHBOR SAYS PLANNED PARENTHOOD AND THE CITY CAME TO A VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT MONTHS AGO TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY TO RECONSTRUCT CLARKE STREET AT SECOND AVENUE. THEY SAY THEY’VE ALREADY PAID A PORTION OF THE RELOCATION FEES TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD. WE WORKED WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S LEADERSHIP FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WE ACTUALLY STARTED MEETING WITH THEM AND THEY WERE GREAT TO WORK WITH AND AND I WAS HAPPY THAT WE WE REACHED AN AGREEMENT IN MAY, A VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. KCCI DID ASK PLANNED PARENTHOOD TO DO AN INTERVIEW TUESDAY MORNING, BUT THEY DECLINED, SAYING THEIR STATEMENTS SHOULD SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. THEY SAY THE BOOK SALE STARTED IN 1961 AND SINCE THEN MORE THAN $10 MILLION HAS BEEN RAISED. THE POWERFUL LEGACY OF THE BOOK SALE WILL LIVE ON THROUGH AN ENDOWMENT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION AND PRIORITIZE OUR RESOURCES TO POSITIVELY IMPACT IOWA FOR YEARS TO COME. THE FINAL BOOK SALE WILL BE HOSTED AT THE FOUR H BUILDING ON THE IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNDS
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Planned Parenthood takes back accusation city of Des Moines used eminent domain to acquire book sale warehouse
The decades-old Planned Parenthood book sale is coming to an end next month. Planned Parenthood originally said Monday night that the warehouse where they store the books is being acquired by the city of Des Moines using eminent domain."It is with mixed emotions and a heavy heart that we are announcing the end of the Planned Parenthood book sale," Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a video attached to the press release.KCCI reached out to the city of Des Moines, which denied those claims.City Engineer Steven Naber said they reached a voluntary agreement to purchase the property at a fair market price, without having to use eminent domain.The city said the property is crucial for a construction project near Second Avenue and Clark Street and that they've already paid some of Planned Parenthood's relocation fees. "We worked with Planned Parenthood's leadership for the last couple years and they were great to work with and I was happy we reached an agreement in May, a voluntary agreement to purchase a property," Naber said.It wasn't until 4 p.m. Tuesday that Planned Parenthood responded to KCCI's follow-up emails verifying what the city of Des Moines said was true. They sent the following statement:When the city told us about this important infrastructure project, they made a fair offer for the warehouse to avoid the eminent domain process and the legal fight for both parties. In this increasingly hostile landscape, Planned Parenthood is often fighting legal battles to protect the right of Iowans to access essential health care and much needed sex education.We often have to make hard decisions about where to allocate resources to support our mission. We recognized that by coming to a mutual agreement with the city with a fair purchase price for the warehouse, we could continue supporting sex education in Iowa and preserve our legal resources for the fight to protect Iowans’ freedom to control their health, bodies, and future. We are thankful for the city’s open communication and partnership in that process.Planned Parenthood says the book sale started in 1961, and since then, more than $10 million has been raised.The final book sale will be hosted in the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Oct. 12-16.

The decades-old Planned Parenthood book sale is coming to an end next month.

Planned Parenthood originally said Monday night that the warehouse where they store the books is being acquired by the city of Des Moines using eminent domain.

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"It is with mixed emotions and a heavy heart that we are announcing the end of the Planned Parenthood book sale," Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said in a video attached to the press release.

KCCI reached out to the city of Des Moines, which denied those claims.

City Engineer Steven Naber said they reached a voluntary agreement to purchase the property at a fair market price, without having to use eminent domain.

The city said the property is crucial for a construction project near Second Avenue and Clark Street and that they've already paid some of Planned Parenthood's relocation fees.

"We worked with Planned Parenthood's leadership for the last couple years and they were great to work with and I was happy we reached an agreement in May, a voluntary agreement to purchase a property," Naber said.

It wasn't until 4 p.m. Tuesday that Planned Parenthood responded to KCCI's follow-up emails verifying what the city of Des Moines said was true. They sent the following statement:

When the city told us about this important infrastructure project, they made a fair offer for the warehouse to avoid the eminent domain process and the legal fight for both parties. In this increasingly hostile landscape, Planned Parenthood is often fighting legal battles to protect the right of Iowans to access essential health care and much needed sex education.

We often have to make hard decisions about where to allocate resources to support our mission. We recognized that by coming to a mutual agreement with the city with a fair purchase price for the warehouse, we could continue supporting sex education in Iowa and preserve our legal resources for the fight to protect Iowans’ freedom to control their health, bodies, and future. We are thankful for the city’s open communication and partnership in that process.

Planned Parenthood says the book sale started in 1961, and since then, more than $10 million has been raised.

The final book sale will be hosted in the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Oct. 12-16.