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Nika D.
Sabasteanski

Associate

Nika D.
Sabasteanski

Associate

Nika joined SPR in Fall 2023 after graduating magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif, from New York University School of Law.

At NYU Law, Nika served as the Editor-in-Chief of the New York University Law Review. Additionally, she was a Furman Academic Scholar and a Furman Public Policy Scholar. Nika spent her 2L summer as a law clerk at the Department of Justice—Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Natural Resources Section, where she focused on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) challenges and Fifth Amendment takings cases. She was also a student clinician in the Regulatory Policy Clinic, a partnership with the Institute for Policy Integrity, and in the Environmental Law Clinic, run by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Prior to law school, Nika earned a Master of Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, in the department of Population & Family Health with a concentration in Forced Migration. While in graduate school, she worked for the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute and the International Centre for Migration, Health & Development in Geneva, Switzerland. She previously worked as a healthcare software consultant.

Florence Allen Scholar
Furman Public Policy Scholar
Furman Academic Scholar
Editor-in-Chief, NYU Law Review
Order of the Coif
George P. Foulk Memorial Award (Overall Achievement)
Paul D. Kaufman Memorial Award (Most Outstanding Note)

Hudson River Park

Location: New York, NY

From its inception, SPR has served as environmental and litigation counsel to the Hudson River Park Trust on major proposed projects in Hudson River Park, most recently Little Island, Pier 57, and Gansevoort Peninsula. Little Island is a distinctive pier offering world-class recreation and performing arts events, with the support of a donation from the Diller/von Furstenberg Family Foundation – the largest gift to a public park in the history of New York State. Little Island was the subject of litigation in state and federal court for over two years, during which SPR successfully overcame a challenge to the Trust’s environmental review and a challenge to the permit issued by the DEC (as co-counsel with the State).

SPR also helped the Trust obtain new permits after the donor terminated and then restarted the Project. Pier 57 was transformed from its original maritime use to an indoor/outdoor public space and food hall. SPR advised the Trust with respect to the preparation of an environmental impact statement for Pier 57 as well as obtaining environmental permits. The Gansevoort Peninsula is a public beach and passive recreation space that replaces a former sanitation facility. SPR advised on environmental permitting and represented the Trust in litigation challenging the Gansevoort Peninsula project.

MTA Congestion Pricing

Location: New York, NY

The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), an affiliate of the MTA, along with the New York State and New York City Departments of Transportation (collectively, the Project Sponsors), have proposed the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP) for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approval under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP). This proposal is the first in this country for congestion pricing in a city to reduce congestion (and, in this case, also to raise funds for MTA capital projects). In June 2023, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the proposed CBDTP was issued by FHWA in coordination with the Project Sponsors. SPR has counseled the MTA/TBTA in the development of the EA, including outreach, interfacing with federal, state, local and regional agencies, and advising with respect to various legal issues, as well as with respect to the VPPP. SPR is also representing the MTA/TBTA in nine federal litigations challenging the FONSI, including one brought by the State of New Jersey.  In one of those litigations, the Court for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an Opinion and Order on June 20, 2024, affirming the validity of the EA and FONSI.

Lenox Hill Hospital

Location: New York, NY

SPR is serving as environmental counsel for Northwell Health regarding the redevelopment of the Lenox Hill Hospital, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The redevelopment project will make Lenox Hill a state-of-the-art hospital featuring single-bedded patient rooms, advanced and adaptable operating rooms, an enlarged emergency department, and a relocated, improved ambulance bay. While this project began before the pandemic, Lenox Hill’s important role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis in New York City – which quickly became an epicenter for the pandemic – confirmed the need for these changes to better equip the hospital to address future public health challenges and improve the quality of patient care.

Port Authority of NY & New Jersey – Bus Terminal

Location: New York, NY

SPR serves as special environmental counsel to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on the environmental impact review of the proposed replacement of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.  The project entails a new main terminal, an adjunct facility for additional bus storage and staging, new ramps, and the conversion of deck-overs to publicly accessible open space. The project also includes two privately funded commercial developments over the new main terminal to assist in funding the transportation and open space elements. The environmental review is being conducted by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In February 2024, the FTA issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.  Issuance of the Final EIS is expected in the Summer of 2024.

Nine Dot Energy – NY Green Bank

Location: New York

SPR represents a lender in connection with a $25 million revolving credit facility for NineDot Energy to finance interconnection deposits for battery energy storage projects.

GSI – NY Green Bank

Location: New York

SPR represents a lender in connection with $10,000,000 revolving credit facility for GSI to finance interconnection deposits for distributed solar generation or battery energy storage projects.

Sun Rocket Capital – Donato Solar (Decatur Brush)

Location: Illinois

SPR represents a lender in connection with $4.8 Million Construction to Term Loan Facility for a 2.850 MW ground-mounted solar project.

SunRocket Capital – Donato Solar (Decatur Brush 2)

Location: Illinois

SPR represents a lender in connection with $4.7 Million Construction to Term Loan Facility for a 2.850 MW ground-mounted solar project.

SunRocket Capital – WCP Financials

Location: Illinois

SPR represents a lender in connection with $1,400,000 Term Loan for a 3.029 kW roof-mounted solar project.

“Administrable Omissions Liability in Public Law”

For: NYU Law Review

2023 | Written by Nika Sabasteanski

“Saving Lives and Livelihoods: The Paycheck Protection Program and its Efficacy”

For: Economia

2022 | Written by Nika Sabasteanski (and Jeremy Brooks & Thomas Chandler)

“Climate Migration and Health System Preparedness in the United States”

For: Climate Policy

2020 | Written by Nika Sabasteanski

“Climate Migrants Within the U.S. Will Need a Strong Health System”

For: Scientific American: Observations

August 26, 2019 | Written by Nika Sabasteanski

New York State FY 2025 Budget Includes Significant Housing & Environmental Programs

On April 20, 2024, the New York State Legislature enacted the long-awaited $237 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (the FY 2025 Budget). Housing reform is the centerpiece of the FY 2025 Budget, given the bipartisan nature of the on-going housing affordability and vacancy crisis—...

Covered New Jersey Buildings Must Meet New Benchmarking Requirement By December 31

December 31, 2023 marks the final deadline for compliance with the first year of New Jersey’s building energy and water benchmarking law. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) issued an order in compliance with the New Jersey Clean Energy Act of 2018

Biden Administration Proposes “Phase 2” Revisions to NEPA Regulations

On July 31, 2023, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for its second phase of revisions to the 2020 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) amendments. As a brief primer, NEPA imposes procedural requirements on all federal ...

New York University School of Law, J.D., 2023, Order of the Coif, Magna cum laude

Columbia University, M.P.H., 2020, Delta Omega

Barnard College, B.A., 2017, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa cum laude

New York, 2024