Diligent Guidance On Zoning And Land Use Matters

Our zoning and land use attorneys have many years of experience successfully obtaining land use approvals, such as rezonings, special permits and variances from the Department of City Planning, Board of Standards and Appeals and Landmarks Preservation Commission. We work with the City agencies, local community planning boards and elected officials to expeditiously guide our clients through the public review processes required for such approvals and to ensure approval.

Comprehensive Legal Services

In addition to the above, our services include:

  • Air Rights Purchase and Sale Agreements
  • Zoning Lot Development Agreements
  • Represent owners and developers before:
    • City Planning Commission/ULURP:
      • Rezonings
      • Special Permits
      • Development Rights Transfers
    • Board of Standards and Appeals:
      • Variances
      • Special Permits
      • Appeals
    • Landmarks Preservation Commission:
      • Designations
      • Certificates of Appropriateness
      • Permits
    • Department of Buildings:
      • Zoning Determinations
    • Department of Finance:
      • Tax Lot Mergers and Subdivisions

Drawing on extensive experience in all areas of real estate law, our legal team understands how to navigate the many challenges that can arise in these cases. Clients benefit from this well-rounded background of in-depth knowledge and experience.

Notable Work

  • City Planning Commission special permit for 5 Mercer Street in SoHo that will allow a penthouse enlargement and ground floor retail use.
  • City Planning Commission special permit for 61 Crosby Street in SoHo to allow ground floor retail use.
  • Landmarks Preservation Commission removal from interior landmark designation of Institute of International Education property at 809 United Nations Plaza in Manhattan and Richmond University Medical Center property in Staten Island.
  • City Planning Commission FRESH food store certification and authorization for bonus floor area and height and a Board of Standards and Appeals variance to modify parking, lot coverage and use for a new mixed use building on Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Harlem.
  • City Planning Commission certification for a theater development rights transfer, Landmarks Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness, a zoning lot merger and Zoning Lot Development Agreement with the adjacent St. James Theater and tax lot reapportionment for the 2nd Stage Theater to rehabilitate and enlarge the landmark Helen Hayes Theater in the Midtown Theater District.
  • City Planning Commission certification for the Nederlander Organization to transfer theater development rights from the Neil Simon Theater to a new mixed use development in the Midtown Theater District.
  • Board of Standards and Appeals special permit for New York Presbyterian Hospital for a hospital staff parking facility.
  • City Planning Commission special permit for Kub Capital for development of a new, eight-story condominium on a former parking lot at 150 Wooster Street in SoHo.
  • Purchase agreement and easement for The Children’s Aid Society for the transfer of a portion of the Goodhue Center property in Staten Island to the New York City Department of Parks.
  • Economic Development Corporation funding agreement and Landmarks Preservation Commission Certificate of No Effect for Richmond University Medical Center for the development of a new emergency medical facility.
  • Zoning Lot Development Agreement and development rights transfer for the enlargement and expansion of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
  • Board of Standards and Appeals variance for modification of the “sliver law” to allow a new mixed-use building on West 128th Street in Harlem.
  • Economic Development Corporation funding agreement for The Children’s Aid Society for the rehabilitation and improvement of the Goodhue Center swimming pool and bathhouse on Staten Island.
  • City Planning Commission rezoning and text amendment in Astoria, Queens to allow development of a new residential building with affordable housing under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.
  • Zoning Lot Development Agreement, tax lot reapportionment, zoning lot merger and transfer of development rights for development of a new mixed-use building on East Houston Street in the East Village, Manhattan.