On June 23, 2005, in the eminent domain case Kelo et al vs. New London, the US Supreme Court ruled that a city may take private property under the “takings” clause of the Fifth Amendment if the taking is for a plan of economic development that will benefit the community as a whole. The 5-4 decision, which resulted in the destruction of an old residential neighborhood, supported the urban development plan put forward by the New London Development Corporation (NLDC), a plan that was to develop new businesses immediately adjacent to the headquarters and research facility of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, Inc.