Just some follow-up and insight to this post. I used to live in Lakewood, Ohio and I'm very familiar with the area in question.
The mayor who committed the cardinal sin of looking bad on camera was indeed voted out. Ironically, her replacement ALSO supported the developer's stance - however, the general mood is that the former mayor didn't handle the press or the pressure appropriately.
Relating to the eminent domain issue - a proposal by the opposition (that ALL future eminent domain proposals be subject to a citywide vote) was defeated.
The actual vote relating to the eminent domain issue? It was defeated. By 39 votes - a recount is likely simply because of the narrow margin.
What people might not understand about the issue is that the area in question does not solely consist of charming, well-kept older homes (as 60 Minutes would have you believe). Three eight-story apartment buildings occupy the prime spot that commands a sweeping view of the park and river valley (as well as somewhat obstructed views of Lake Erie). They were constructed on top of what used to be the intra-urban turnaround in the 1960s and typical of the era, are atrocious beige-brick blocks which add little to the area. Perhaps more important, the apartment buildings cater to a lower-end demographic (rent for a one-bedroom is around $300-$400 per month, in many cases subsidized). I personally believe that those buildings are what first led the developers to set their sights on Lakewood's West End.
To give you some perspective - this image shows the area in question. The section to the LEFT of the river is Lakewood's West End, where you can see the apartment buildings and their layout following the curve of the Rocky River. The area to the right of the river is the affluent 'burb of Rocky River (named after the river shown in the photo).