"Moving for the community to make it a greater place in that area, I understand that," said Alan Knox, whose Knox Fabrication at 741 W. South Temple has been at that site for 23 years. His Knox Investments has been renting out parts of his property to 14 other tenants since the early 1970s.

Broschinsky questioned the use of eminent-domain over further negotiation.

"I'd understand it if we were digging in, if we were demanding outrageous sums of money," he said.

Baxter said he recognizes the difficulties associated with moving a business and said the businesses in this area are unique. Roger Jacobsen's Grand Staircase cabinetry and wood-finishing shop, for example, uses a large saw that will be tough to relocate.

"It's a pretty elaborate process to move that saw," Baxter said. "It's not your Black & Decker radial saw."

But he said because of the project's time line and Union Pacific's obligation to abandon the 900 South rail line now that it has filed for federal permits to do so, the eminent-domain process must begin now. Construction on parts of the project could start as soon as December, and the city hopes to be finished in 2008.

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E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com