Development Archives

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that one of the sites at the Navy Yard will be the site of a new Marriott-brand hotel. The development is being sponsored by Liberty Property Trust, an investment trust headquartered in Malvern. Sources said Liberty is nearly finished financing the new hotel.

Developers must comply with numerous local, state and federal regulations before any actual construction can begin. Keeping track of all of the laws and regulations can be difficult and often require the close assistance of an attorney. Developing land for gambling and harness-racing, however, requires compliance with a whole new set of laws. The last Pennsylvania harness-racing company is finding out that securing the rights to develop a harness-racing track and casino requires jumping through a lot of hoops.

Range Resources, a company that drills for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale Formation in Pennsylvania, has found itself locked in a regulatory debate with several Pennsylvania townships and communities. Most recently, it has taken steps to challenge South Fayette’s zoning ordinance, which Range Resources has argued unfairly blocks development in the area.

As the recession lingers on, many Pennsylvania communities are attempting to encourage development and redevelopment. As a result, many cities and towns are considering policies that could create great opportunities for development in Pennsylvania.

Getting a real estate development project from the drawing board to occupancy can be a difficult task. In addition to needing to find an adequate site and reliable contractors, a developer needs to navigate an often-confusing minefield of regulations, permits, and red tape.

There can be legal obstacles in any construction or development project. Often, the size and the amount of obstacles can increase with the size of the project. Large development projects can take years and years before groundbreaking even starts. The are many items that need to be addressed during a large project, including politics, permits, traffic concerns, zoning, zoning variances, and litigation.

Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region have many brownfields. Broadly defined, a brownfield is a parcel of real estate that poses development challenges because of the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant on the site. Commonly, brownfields are found on abandoned industrial sites.