The end of June saw the D.C. Council pass the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Support Act of 2024 and the Fiscal Year 2025 Local Budget Act of 2024. The 2025 budget includes the “Central Washington Activation Conversion Program...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
Recognizing that Downtown San Francisco is “struggling” post-pandemic, State Senator Scott Wiener has announced new legislation to exempt certain projects in the area from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review...more
In response to Mayor London Breed’s recent Executive Directive, titled “Housing For All,” on May 4, 2023, the San Francisco Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a package of Planning...more
The San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on May 4 of two ordinances aimed at revitalizing the City’s Downtown, South of Market Street, and Union Square districts. Vacant Office and...more
When New York Governor Kathy Hochul executed the 2022-2023 State Budget, it included a 10-year extension to the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (“BCP” or “Program). The State’s voluntary, incentive-laced, BCP was set to...more
The Revitalizing Downtowns Act (RDA) was introduced in the US Senate in July 2021. Designed to revive urban downtowns, the RDA provides a 20% tax credit to developers who convert unused office space into residential housing...more
On January 13, 2022, the Brookhaven Town Board voted unanimously to adopt new legislation that creates the Greater Bellport Overlay District. The law aims to foster redevelopment in the hamlet of Bellport and encourages the...more
As Philadelphia continued to grapple with the pandemic, both City Council and the Kenney administration implemented policies and ordinances that will impact several industries. Below is a summary of the major policy changes...more
Earlier this year, the Miami City Commission approved a major zoning overhaul for the portion of Wynwood lying north of NW 29th Street—the newly dubbed Wynwood Norte. Given its proximity to the Wynwood Arts District and...more
Council Approves Bonds to Finance Neighborhood Preservation Initiative - On Thursday, City Council passed legislation that authorized $400 million in bonds to finance the Neighborhood Preservation Initiative (NPI). The...more
The Public Trust Doctrine holds that when a municipality acquires land for an expressly public purpose, it cannot later sell or otherwise alienate the use of that land for private use without the State Legislature’s approval...more
Ever since the demise of redevelopment agencies in 2012, there have been a variety of legislative efforts to revive, incrementally or in whole, some form of redevelopment in California....more
Assemblyman David Chiu has unveiled his long-promised legislation to establish a modified version of the state’s former redevelopment program, aimed at creating major state funding for affordable housing, transit, and other...more
With the new year now here, we look at ten key planning changes which are due in 2017: 1. Housing White Paper- This was expected today, but we understand that its publication will be pushed back and there have been...more
This is the fourth edition in an ongoing series of "Corner Briefings" highlighting urban infill legal tools and opportunities. These updates identify new legal cases, legislative updates, grant opportunities and other urban...more
San Francisco Requires Solar Panel Installation on New Buildings - Last month, the City of San Francisco passed an ordinance requiring all new buildings to include solar energy systems. California law currently requires...more
There are several recent developments in California and in the Los Angeles region affecting the funding of urban redevelopment and the creation of affordable housing. First, the California Legislature passed, and Governor...more
In the Supreme Court’s recent, landmark decision in Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., 576 U.S. ___, 2015 WL 2473449 (Jun. 25, 2015), the Court held that, while disparate...more