 First of all, if this story were true, existing property owners would not be saying, absolutely not, no way, never, no matter what. They'd be saying, let's make a deal. How much are you willing to pay for it? How much are you willing to pay to rip down 100 historic homes in San Francisco and build five skyscrapers instead? That's what an actual selfish person says when you make them an offer. Not, no way, I don't care how much money you offer.