“Substantial Completion” is a critical concept in construction contracts and one as to which parties often have contrary conceptions. Finding a definition of Substantial Completion acceptable to both the owner and the...more
City of Los Angeles - Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the fee for planning and land use applications increased by 3.5% based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban...more
The California Supreme Court, on June 6, 2024, reversed the First District Court of Appeal’s decision regarding UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) EIR. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision clears the way for...more
For many years now, colleges and universities have looked to public-private partnerships (P3s) as the vehicle for delivering modern, apartment-style student housing facilities with quality amenities that enhance the overall...more
The California Supreme Court recently upheld the Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the Long Range Development Plan (“LRDP”) for the University of California Berkeley (“UC Berkeley”) and a controversial housing project...more
A recent Commonwealth Court decision answers two important questions about how zoning officers function under Pennsylvania law: (1) whether verbal statements from a zoning officer can serve as official “determinations” or...more
A California Supreme Court ruling will allow student housing at University of California to be built at Berkeley's historic People's Park. In February 2023, a state appeals court in San Francisco had sided with the opponents,...more
The Los Angeles Superior Court issued a highly anticipated ruling on March 4, 2024, addressing a Builder’s Remedy project denial by the City of La Cañada Flintridge. The decision confirms (i) that a local jurisdiction cannot...more
Senate Bill (SB) 1227, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener on February 15, 2024, would help speed the recovery of downtown San Francisco by creating a new CEQA exemption for qualifying commercial, institutional, student...more
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) approved housing streamlining legislation voted in last week by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, thus allowing the city to avoid a series of...more
San Francisco - Can Free Rent Jump-Start a Downtown San Francisco Revival? Pop-Up Retailers Say Maybe (SF Standard): Nearly halfway into the three-month program, called Vacant to Vibrant, stakeholders say it has breathed...more
The Berkeley City Council opened the door to high-rise apartment buildings in the Southside neighborhood by signing off on new zoning regulations that could allow for thousands more homes at UC Berkeley’s doorstep....more
The King’s speech announced a new Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill ‘to reform the housing market by making it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to purchase their freehold and tackling the exploitation of millions of...more
As an incentive to builders to create more rental housing units, the federal government has announced the effective elimination of the goods and services tax (GST) payable on newly constructed rental housing, such as...more
On September 7, 2023, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 1307 (AB 1307), which provides that noise generated by occupants of residential projects is not a significant effect on the environment under the California...more
As the new academic year kicks off, students across England are packing their bags and preparing their reading lists ahead of moving away from home. So it seems like the perfect time to take a look at some of the key themes...more
In periods characterized by economic uncertainty or instability, it isn’t uncommon for public projects to quickly lose or divert essential funding for development or improvements in infrastructure. Many times, public works...more
On May 17, 2023, the California Supreme Court granted review of Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of Univ. California (2023) 88 Cal.App.5th 656, a highly-publicized decision in which the Court of Appeal held that an...more
The California Supreme Court, on May 17, 2023, granted review of the First District Court of Appeal’s decision in Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of University of California (2023) 88 Cal.App.5th 656, where the Court of...more
On May 17, 2020, the California Supreme Court granted review of the First District Court of Appeal’s controversial and much criticized published decision in Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of University of California...more
Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed a lawsuit accusing the city of Huntington Beach of violating state housing laws, seeking a preliminary injunction against the city....more
Governor Gavin Newsom said he will work this year to reform a landmark state environmental law that he says has been weaponized by wealthy homeowners to block badly-needed housing for students at UC Berkeley....more
In Part Five of our “In With the New” series, Best Best & Krieger LLP covers important new legislation related to the Brown Act, environmental matters, and unions. Here we provide takeaways and analyses of AB 2449, SB 1100,...more
As in previous years, the California Legislature enacted a large volume of housing production laws in the 2022 session, some of which may have a significant effect on housing production in 2023. ...more
With a huge influx of students this year, both from the UK and abroad, there is high demand for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA). Yet, while there is a lot of willing capital looking to enter this market, as with...more