Office-to-Apartment Conversions – A Good Idea, but Tricky to Pull Off (Audio)
South Carolina Abandoned Building Incentives at Risk of Going Away
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
Transbay Tower Groundbreaking
Welcome to Construction & Claims, a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving construction news, claims, bid protests, contract administration and payment-related disputes....more
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a financing tool used by local governments to fund economic development projects. In Florida, TIF is most commonly associated with Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs), which have statutory...more
On January 19, 2023, Representative Kevin Honan filed new legislation entitled “An Act to Safeguard Municipal Permitting” targeted at addressing special permit protections and timelines for previously approved projects. This...more
CASES OF NOTE - WHEN IT COMES TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, PROPERTY OWNERS BEWARE - Styller v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Lynnfield, 487 Mass. 588 (2021) In Styller v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Lynnfield, the...more
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) issued final regulations effective July 9, 2021 (the Regulations) that are intended to aid in the implementation of the Massachusetts Brownfields Tax Credits program, which was...more
The Connecticut Brownfields Initiative of the University of Connecticut recently announced the release of a Request for Proposals for its Municipal Assistance Program starting in the fall of 2021. The Municipal Assistance...more
There is an ongoing global pandemic and the world is rightly focused on news related to COVID-19. Given the circumstances, other news is slipping below the radar. Something you may have missed is another effort to revive...more
In the fall of 2019, the Ohio General Assembly significantly changed state law governing tax increment financing (TIF) exemptions. For certain TIF projects, local communities can extend the exemptions – and, therefore,...more
The dawn of 2020 brings a spirit of fresh opportunities for municipalities to address challenges, develop (or re-develop), and pursue growth by aligning with investors and government programs. The new year also offers a...more
In an August 2019 decision, the Fourth Department of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled that property owners cannot assert a lawsuit alleging inverse condemnation and other damages...more
In 2012, the City of Somerville, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA), and the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development approved the Union Square Revitalization Plan (the Plan), an urban renewal...more
On August 9, 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed bill A1700 into law. The new law provides for the designation of shopping centers and office parks with significant vacancies as properties that qualify as areas in...more
The Supreme Court of North Carolina recently held in Meinck vs. City of Gastonia that a city’s lease to a non-profit arts group in connection with a downtown revitalization project was a “governmental function”, which...more
Over the past several years, this blog has presented several posts on the topic of standing. It is a frequent topic because it is often raised as a threshold issue in zoning and land use cases....more
Some of the most hotly contested disputes involving political subdivisions in Ohio are zoning disputes. Counties, townships, cities and villages in Ohio are empowered to adopt and enforce comprehensive zoning regulations....more
The New Jersey Appellate Division reversed a decision allowing the Borough of Glassboro to condemn property just because it was part of a “Redevelopment Area” and has been since 2000. In Borough of Glassboro v. Grossman....more
The Recodified Tax Increment Financing Act, 2018 PA 57 (the “Act”), was signed into law on March 15, 2018 to take effect on January 1, 2019. The Act consolidates the legislative authority to create and operate tax increment...more
Local affordable housing authorities in California will see their oversight enhanced with the passage of AB 2035, signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown....more
Welcome to our Environmental Legislative Updates. Throughout Connecticut’s legislative session, these updates highlight developments concerning environmental law and policy. The author prepares updates as Legislative...more
Tax increment authorities and municipalities face new transparency and reporting requirements under a recently signed law. The Recodified Tax Increment Financing Act, 2018 PA 57 (“Act 57”) was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on...more
On September 8, 2017, a Jefferson County District Court ("Court") essentially struck down Ballot Question 300 (“BQ300”), approved by the Wheat Ridge ("the City") voters on November 3, 2015. The ballot question was an...more
The Seattle Waterfront Project is a step closer in its plans for redevelopment, or at least a step closer in estimating a piece of its funding. Earlier this month, the City of Seattle received a feasibility study revealing...more
On Friday, March 31, more than a year of ongoing discussions and negotiations among urban renewal stakeholders came to fruition with the introduction by Colorado State Sens. Rachel Zenziger (D – Arvada) and Beth Martinez...more
Valuable Tool for Municipalities Seeking to Redevelop Brownfield Sites - On May 4, the General Assembly passed Public Act 16-115, An Act Concerning The Creation Of Connecticut Brownfield Land Banks, Certain Lender...more
On May 9, 2016, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law the Contaminated Property Redevelopment Act (the “Act”). The goal of this Act is to allow purchasers in Kansas to acquire real property with pre-existing...more