Angry Connecticut residents whose land was taken by their city for private development say the Pfizer Inc. drug company's recent decision to move away shows the city never needed to pick the eminent domain fight in the first place.

The waterfront land has remained mostly undeveloped next to the Pfizer research center in New London.

Some residents lost their homes when the land was taken in a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case. Newspaper employee Matthew Dery moved to neighboring Waterford after being forced from a home that had been with his family for a century. He says he'll never go back to the neighborhood.

Pfizer says eminent domain played no part in the development of its research center. A New London economic development official says he expects more development once the economy rebounds.