Redevelopment law is one of the cornerstones of our firm, and the work of the Decotiis Redevelopment Law practice group is, in terms of both expertise and volume, one of New Jersey’s leaders in the field. We. have represented entities at every level of government, including municipalities, counties, housing and redevelopment authorities, municipal and county public authorities, regional authorities, state agencies and authorities, and the state itself.
The diverse nature of our public sector practice allows us to offer teams of highly skilled professionals who provide expert legal guidance on matters pertaining to planning and redevelopment. On the private sector side, the firm also represents numerous companies undertaking mixed-use redevelopment projects throughout New Jersey.
One of the group’s strengths is their unique perspective. In addition to land-use and planning expertise, DeCotiis also has cutting-edge expertise in finance. We do much more than simply apply the law. We analyze projects from a business perspective as well, and develop recommendations and strategies based on whether and how the financial models support the client’s business objectives. We think like businesspeople in addition to thinking like lawyers. We are particularly skilled in developing creative solutions to challenging redevelopment projects. Should an intricate deal require analysis from other legal perspectives, we routinely draw upon DeCotiis’s other practice groups – environmental, corporate, real estate, bankruptcy – to help build a solution.
The Redevelopment Law practice group provides a full range of services for redevelopment projects and has hands-on expertise in every facet of these complex transactions. Our attorneys have extensive experience in overseeing redevelopment investigation studies to determine if an area qualifies as a redevelopment area under the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, assisting in the preparation of redevelopment plans and amendments to the municipal master plan to insure consistency and compliance with the Municipal Land Use Law, preparing requisite resolutions and ordinances for actions to be taken and ensuring that public hearing requirements are met, soliciting and selecting qualified developers through the preparation of procurement documents, issuing requests for proposals, and negotiating redevelopment agreements and financial agreements for payments in lieu of taxes.
We also have the skill and experience to coordinate due diligence activities for project sites including environmental investigations and remediation, property appraisals, surveys, title searches, and Workable Relocation Assistance Plans. We are well qualified to negotiate contracts for the acquisition of property and to assist our governmental clients in condemnation proceedings in compliance with the Condemnation Law.
Conversely, our expertise in these areas also provides a valuable base from which we advise our private clients in the same processes, from being selected as qualified developers to negotiating a beneficial development agreement and completing the project. Our attorneys provide overall project management, for both our public and private clients, to assure the completion and success of a redevelopment project.
An important element of the value we provide to our redevelopment clients is our extensive and longstanding relationships throughout the redevelopment community. We can often either facilitate or help structure a project more advantageously by putting together the team that can get the deal done. Whether a project needs mezzanine financing, a working relationship with a bank, or something else, we stand ready to help our clients make it happen.
