Adaptive Reuse: From Desks to Doorways
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
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10, 2025, signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 1050 (Schultz) (Chapter 504, Statutes of 2025), effective Jan. 1, 2026, further amending California Civil Code Section 714.61 and expanding the...more
Japan faces a pressing need for the redevelopment of aging condominium buildings, particularly in urban areas, which has been difficult due to strict decision-making rules and limited redevelopment options under the previous...more
Effective October 23, 2025, Seattle will make it easier for businesses and developers to occupy a vacant storefront. The City has amended its building code to ease renovation rules that govern when a building must be updated...more
Welcome to the era of commercial-to-residential conversions, where shuttered offices and shopping centers find new life as apartments and condominiums. With remote work leaving offices empty and e-commerce reshaping the...more
The Pennsylvania Office of the Budget is now accepting applications for the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), with a rapidly approaching deadline of September 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM. Those with eligible...more
In the first episode of "Property Pointers: Real Estate Law Simplified," Real Estate attorney Jake Lebovic discusses opportunities for adaptive reuse projects in Los Angeles. He explains how converting underused office...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a May 16th news release announcing $267 million in Brownfield grants. Pine Bluff, Arkansas was awarded $500,000.00 that will be targeted for the Downtown...more
INTRODUCTION - A county court case - Spirit Pub Company v Pridewell Properties - has provided an interesting illustration as to how courts are looking at applications under the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (the “Act”). It...more
Suburban strip malls have been a staple of Long Island’s retail identity – convenient, accessible, and often anchored by big-name national chains. But, as retail trends evolve and those anchor tenants face uncertainty and for...more
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) has announced the release of the 2025 Guidelines and Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund Grants....more
Thanks to the Boston Bar Association (BBA) and Ian Urquhart at Nutter, McClennen & Fish, for recently coordinating a BBA member walkthrough of Stellata, which is the first-completed of 15 proposed new buildings at the Bunker...more
On 7 January 2025, an Inspector confirmed the London Borough of Southwark (Elephant and Castle Town Centre) Compulsory Purchase Order (No.2) 2023 (the "CPO")....more
In a partially published opinion filed October 31, 2024, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 1) held, in light of AB 1307 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of University of...more
A second Trump presidency may bring a renewed focus on deregulation and a reduction in federal oversight, which could have profound implications for brownfield redevelopment. Brownfields are previously developed sites, often...more
A number of municipalities have recently issued, or are contemplating, competitive solicitations for public-private partnerships (“P3s”) to deliver new municipal facilities, typically as part of a transformative “town center”...more
The ‘fundamental aim’ of the Green Belt as stated in the NPPF is urban containment. The NPPF contains strong protections by imposing strict tests to be met before Green Belt land can be released for development....more
To accelerate redevelopment of aged and dilapidated buildings in Hong Kong, the Government enacted the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 on 25 July 2024....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 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
On May 20, 2024, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law S.1021, a new law that extends and increases tax credits available to taxpayers who rehabilitate or renovate an existing, abandoned building. The new law...more
The Georgia Brownfield Association (GBA) held its 10th annual Brownfield Seminar on April 9th, bringing together leaders from the legal, engineering, and government sectors who share an interest in furthering the...more
In 2024, the market is coming to terms with the reality that brick-and-mortar retail will likely not be what it was pre-pandemic. However, where uncertainty and fear regarding the future of retail was prevalent just a couple...more
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
Because the courts have interpreted the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq., as a strict liability statute holding owners in the chain of title liable...more
The first person charged for violating a 2020 law that forbids conspiracies to taint international sports events through performance-enhancing drugs received a three-month prison sentence. Federal prosecutors used the...more