Government & Public Policy

From zoning disputes to the federal tax code, public policy affects the commercial real estate sector far more than you may realize. For industry leaders, government and politics demand constant attention.

The Rundown
Pompton Lakes agency OKs mixed-use redevelopment

Local officials in Pompton Lakes have approved a plan that would bring more than 450 apartments and a host of retail space to its downtown, according to a published report Tuesday.

Government & Public Policy
Victory for gas tax dedication, failure for casino expansion

Amid the stunning outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election, New Jersey residents voted as expected and overwhelmingly rejected a ballot question to expand casino gaming in the state.

Government & Public Policy
McNamara, other CRE leaders honored at NAIOP awards dinner

It was a night in which one of the state’s biggest legislative issues in recent memory was in the spotlight, as voters prepare to consider constitutionally dedicated transportation funding.

Government & Public Policy
Wilcox named to elevated posts with development, chamber groups

Gretchen Wilcox, CEO, president and founder of G.S. Wilcox & Co., has been appointed to the national board of a commercial real estate development association and to the executive board of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, the firm announced

Professional Services
McLaren, RSC design new Weehawken pier

A pier that stretches nearly 500 feet into the Hudson River has opened in Weehawken, replacing a structure just north of Hoboken that had been destroyed nearly 15 years ago.

Government & Public Policy
Toms River, advocates strike affordable housing deal

A deal between local officials and a housing advocacy group will result in Toms River having the fourth-highest number of new affordable housing units in the state in the coming decade.

Finance & Capital Markets
Threats to 1031, carried interest in focus at private equity panel

With Election Day looming, real estate investors can’t help but think about Uncle Sam. A panel of experts in that industry explained why last week, pointing to the prospect of changes to federal regulations that they have come to rely on to do business and improve their returns.

Government & Public Policy
At NAIOP forum, mayors offer a how-to guide for development

As Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac will tell you, a neighborhood can have a 30-year-old, polluted industrial site that has been abandoned for more than a decade — yet local residents still oppose the mere concept of redevelopment.

Government & Public Policy
Trentonian site slated to become Dunkin’ Donuts bakery hub

The latest thing that Trenton makes? Try Munchkins.

That may soon be the case under a proposal by a team of Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees. A nearly $17 million project calls for redeveloping two buildings in the city into a new 69,000-square-foot central bakery plant, serving more than 130 stores in the region and producing hundreds of thousands of doughnuts and other products every week.

Government & Public Policy
Are low rates here to stay? An insider makes the case (SLIDESHOW)

Certainty and predictability can be hard to come by these days, so real estate and finance professionals will settle for a little conviction when it comes to the Federal Reserve. They got exactly that last week at an event hosted by the Rutgers Center for Real Estate.