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.

New 550-seat theater for New Jersey Symphony coming to Toll Bros. site in Jersey City

The New Jersey Symphony has found a new permanent home, with plans to occupy a 44,000-square-foot theater within a prominent Tolls Brothers Inc. development in Jersey City.

Newark awards $1.2 million to seven city small businesses, supporting growing retail scene

Newark city officials are giving a boost to local businesses, pledging $1.2 million in funding for seven restaurants and organizations as part of a plan to activate its retail corridors.

Bayonne city council votes to allow 50-story building in key redevelopment area

Officials in Bayonne have taken a key step toward allowing a developer to build a 50-story high-rise along its waterfront, doubling the previous height allowed for any building in the city.

Judge tosses lawsuit challenging Scotch Plains’ downtown redevelopment plan

A state Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit by professional services firm PS&S that sought to void a redevelopment plan adopted by Scotch Plains, following the town’s decision in 2021 to change developers for a key piece of its downtown.

Panepinto, Incheon City sign MOU to execute $5.1 billion development in South Korea

Panepinto Properties is embarking on another major project in South Korea, having agreed to spearhead a $5.1 billion mixed-use development near Seoul-Incheon International Airport.

MSW welcomes Brendan Pytka as director of tax credits and incentives

Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP has tapped Brendan Pytka as its director of tax credits and incentives, further bolstering the law firm’s offerings for commercial real estate developers.

State OKs $22 million Aspire package for Newark health care center project

State officials have given a major boost to another development in Newark, approving a nearly $22 million tax credit award for a new ground-up health care project in the South Ward.

NAIOP NJ unveils energy position paper, calls for state to slow timeline for full building electrification and focus on costs, grid reliability

State officials must slow the timeline for commercial buildings to become fully electrified, ensuring landlords will have reliable access to power and allowing policymakers to take a harder look at the costs and other hurdles to reaching that milestone by 2035.

Norcross, codefendants plead not guilty in racketeering case tied to Camden waterfront

South Jersey political boss George Norcross pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to racketeering and other charges in a high-profile case brought by the state, with prosecutors alleging he and others unlawfully secured lucrative tax credits and property in Camden for their personal gain.

A focused expansion: Scarinci Hollenbeck says it’s now a one-stop shop for real estate — with clear growth potential

It’s one thing to become the proverbial one-stop shop, as Scarinci Hollenbeck LLC has sought to do with a series of recent additions to its real estate department. But the Little Falls-based law firm has also keyed on what it sees as important growth areas in the space. That strategy is now taking shape at Scarinci, whose long-established real estate team has grown to 15 full-time attorneys from nine last summer, adding new expertise in everything from affordable housing and litigation to foreclosures and landlord-tenant disputes in the wake of the pandemic.