the maxim “beauty is what beauty does.”rnAll Times Square ever really needed wasrna facial and a good make-over.rnIn August 1984, the two-volume,rn1,100-pagc Final Environmental ImpactrnStatement was issued, prompting a slewrnof lawsuits. Still, the project rolled onrnthrough the I980’s, although it startedrnpicking up a little dirt along the wav.rnThere were allegations of improper influencernthrough campaign contributions,rnsweetheart deals for insiders, and arnpayoff by a developer to a city official.rnThe payoff charges prompted state andrnfederal criminal investigators to shout,rn”Oh my ears and whiskers, you meanrnthere’s been illegal activity at a New YorkrnCity construction project?” But afterrnsome halflicartcd investigations, thingsrncalmed down and the public’s fancyrnturned to other scandals. Everythingrnseemed normal in the curious wonderlandrnof massive government urban redevelopmentrnprojects, and finally therngovernment was ready to take the property.rnOf course, the government couldn’trnjust take private property without payingrnfor it—the next century’s clever legalrnminds will have to figure out how to accomplishrnthat feat. Property was condemnedrnand property owners were entitledrnto “just compensation” for theirrnland, so the issue naturally came up as tornwhat exactly was “just.” Enter thernlawyers—and we don’t work for free (unlessrnits “mandatory pro bono,” but that’srna property and liberty interest talc forrnanother day). After more heavy litiga-rnLIBERAL ARTSrnARmTR.vriM; riiKrnRl?riRRYrnKt’porl ciiiils li;i’.r htcii ‘iipd.itcd” inrn^~ Iliiiistoii M.lu)oK 1(1 (liiiiiiialL- Mil”rn”.iibilr.irv” iiatiiR; of tiii.- traditioii.ilrnA-l’ t;r;u]in<; M-.iJf. 1 lit.: new >isfi’iii isrnMl|)pOSl;cl to ••.]^•!t.•S.^ Stlldfllt IH’ltOriii.rniiKi: Mioic niciiiiiiiutiillv .iiid ^ivi’rnp;ii(.;iitsa Ix’lkT iik’a ot liowllicir cliildri’iirn