Projects

SPR represents the developer in connection with the negotiation and preparation of design services and construction management agreements for the redevelopment of the landmarked “International Mercantile Marine Company Building” at One Broadway, NYC.

SPR successfully sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and defended the environmental reviews for the renovation of the Seventh Regiment Armory on Park Avenue.

SPR successfully defended a proceeding that sought to annul approvals received by Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, a private, tuition-free school established in 1859. The challenge sought to block Cooper Union’s redevelopment plan, which is designed to improve and modernize its educational facilities in downtown Manhattan. The petitioners claimed that the City approvals did not comply with New York City’s zoning laws, and that the EIS had improperly “segmented” the redevelopment project from the proposed development of another parcel owned by Cooper Union. New York State Justice Sheila Abdus-Salaam dismissed petitioners’ claims in their entirety, finding that the City had properly studied the impact of the redevelopment plan on public facilities in the vicinity of the project and otherwise complied with the City’s zoning procedures. The court also found that there had been no improper segmentation, because the EIS considered impacts from the other parcel owned by Cooper Union. David Paget and Steven C. Russo represented Cooper Union.

SPR oversaw investigation and remediation requirements on an ecologically-vulnerable lot so that this property could be reused or redeveloped for the intended use.

SPR represents Northwell Health, the largest private employer in the state of New York, with respect to a former owner’s ongoing efforts to remediate an approximately one million square foot complex owned and operated by Northwell that was historically developed as a defense industry manufacturing facility.

SPR represented Whole Foods with respect to the analysis of environmental impacts to natural resources and from hazardous materials related to the construction of a supermarket on a site along with Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.  The Firm also advised with respect to the remediation of the site under the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program and with respect to environmental permitting under state and federal law.

SPR is assisting the development group in obtaining the necessary land use approvals and environmental permits for the construction of a shopping center in the Page Avenue commercial corridor on the South Shore of Staten Island.

SPR represented one of the region’s premiere wholesale stores, Restaurant Depot, and negotiated a Consent Order with the Department of Environmental Conservation that lead to the cleanup of this long-dormant rail ferry site.  SPR also assisted the client in obtaining the environmental permits for the project, which supplies dozens of Bronx and regional small businesses with restaurant provisions.

SPR obtained the necessary Department of Environmental Conservation Tidal Wetlands permit and US Environmental Protection Agency cleanup authorization to build this state-of-the-art trucking terminal that brings much needed logistics and jobs to the South Bronx.

SPR is representing the development team selected by the City of New York to remediate a long- underused waterfront property, expand and modernize the existing Mill Pond Park, construct new affordable housing and build the Nation’s first brick-and-mortar Hip Hop Museum.  SPR is advising as to the remediation of the site under the New York State Brownfield Program and as to state and federal environmental permitting.

Sive, Paget & Riesel represented Becker and Becker and MEPT Octagon in connection with the Octagon project, an approximately 400-unit residential development on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The project was developed in conjunction with the renovation of the Octagon, a historic landmark that used to be part of the New York Lunatic Asylum located on Roosevelt Island. SPR also successfully defended a litigation challenging the Southtown project, a joint venture between SPR clients the Related Companies and the Hudson Companies, that is also located on Roosevelt Island.

SPR represents Empire State Development Corporation (“ESD”) and has represented both the Jacob Javits Development and Operating Corporations in the environmental review of the proposed expansion of the Convention Center.  This representation included the review of the preparation of the Hudson Yards EIS, which analyzed the Convention Center expansion, extension of the number 7 subway line and the rezoning of the Hudson Yards.  The Firm also represented ESD and the Javits Development Corporation in assessing the need for a supplemental EIS when changes were made in the proposed expansion design and successfully defended in litigation the determination not to prepare a supplemental EIS.  SPR currently represents ESD with respect to potential additional development associated with the Convention Center with a mix of commercial and medical office, bio-tech/research, hotel, accessory housing and other uses.

SPR represented the developer of the former Domino Sugar refinery site on the East River in Brooklyn for its conversion into market-rate and affordable housing, along with the creation of 4.1 acres of public open space.  The Firm advised with respect to the state and City environmental impact review processes and in obtaining state and federal waterfront development permits.  SPR successfully defended challenges to the adequacy of the environmental impact review.

SPR represented Manhattan Beer Distributors in connection with a contract to purchase and install a 1.1 megawatt rooftop photovoltaic generation system atop the client’s Bronx warehouse.  This is the largest privately-owned solar energy installation in New York City.  The Firm negotiated the design/build contract, including its technical specifications, as well as operational and maintenance documents.  The Firm also counseled regarding technologies appropriate for the client’s facility, and successfully negotiated system upgrades to avoid potential reliability issues.  The Firm prepared the template installation contract for the client to use at its multiple other facilities, and tailored that template to account for the particular circumstances posed by each such facility.

SPR represented the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation in connection with the environmental impact review and environmental permitting required to redevelop Governors Island.

The Firm represented the New York State Urban Development Corporation (now the Empire State Development Corporation) with respect to the Section 404 and Section 10 permitting for the original development of Battery Park City and related construction, including Stuyvesant High School and a number of marinas.  SPR has subsequently served as environmental counsel to the Battery Park City Authority (which is charged with further developing and maintaining Battery Park City) from its inception.  The Firm has advised the Authority with respect to the environmental impact review and environmental permitting of several subsequent projects within Battery Park City.  SPR currently represents the Authority in its effort to procure and obtain required approvals for the design and implementation of physical changes to improve Battery Park City’s resiliency to storm surge, sea level rise and other foreseeable climate change-related impacts.

SPR represented the United States Tennis Association in conjunction with the construction of the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens.  The Firm advised with regard to the environmental impact review and environmental permitting, and dealt with numerous complex issues including alienation of parkland, approvals for highway improvements and impacts from the location of the stadium within the flyway to LaGuardia Airport.

SPR successfully represented defendant Adchem Corporation in a multi-party litigation involving years of discovery and motion practice.  Although this case arose under CERCLA and New York negligence law, its resolution in favor of our client turned on claims that involved corporate veil piercing, general releases of liability obligations of commercial tenants, and when a dissolved corporation can no longer be sued. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied Plaintiffs’ petition for a rehearing en banc.

SPR served as environmental counsel in connection with modernization and rehabilitation of David Geffen Hall and other potential changes with the Lincoln Center complex. SPR also advised on permitting and historic preservation issues.

SPR is representing the American Museum of Natural History with respect to the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation, a five-story, approximately 190,000-gross-square-foot addition to the Museum.  The Gilder Center will include new exhibition and learning spaces with state-of-the-art technology, modernized classrooms, and other Museum improvements.  The Firm advised the Museum during the project’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process and is currently defending the project’s SEQRA review and governmental approvals in pending litigation in New York State Supreme Court, New York County.

SPR is special environmental counsel the Port Authority of NY & NJ with regard to the environmental impact review under NEPA of the potential replacement of the existing bus terminal in Times Square.

SPR is special environmental counsel to the Port Authority of NY & NJ with regard to the environmental impact review under NEPA of a proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport.

SPR advised the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with respect to the preparation of the EIS issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for the construction of the JFK Airtrain, which runs from Jamaica, Queens (where it connects with the LIRR and NYC Subway) to the main terminals at JFK Airport.

SPR represented the Georgetown Company, the developer of IAC Corporation’s new corporate headquarters building, the first New York City building designed by Frank Gehry, which was built on a portion of the former 18th Street Gas Works.  The Firm negotiated a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement with NYSDEC, and subsequently assisted Georgetown in becoming one of the first Volunteers to participate in and successfully complete the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program.

SPR represented the Queens West Development Corporation (QWDC) in connection with New York’s largest mixed-use, public-private development, occupying 72 acres on the East River in Hunters Point, Queens. The Firm oversaw the environmental impact review, which it also successfully defended in litigation, and obtained permits from NYSDEC and the US Army Corps of Engineers. SPR also provided advice concerning QWDC’s purchase and condemnation of the project site parcels, and negotiated developer leases and remediation obligations with the developers, remediation contractors and insurers. The Firm has guided the complex, decade-long site remediation through the NYS Voluntary Cleanup Program and then the Brownfield Cleanup Program and represented QWDC in a CERCLA litigation over the remedial costs.

The Firm serves as environmental and litigation counsel to ESD, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation with respect to development projects adjacent to Piers 1 and 6 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, which generate critical funding for the operation and maintenance of the Park.  These developments include a hotel, market-rate and affordable residential units, and retail space.  In recent years, we successfully defended two challenges to the height and design of the Pier 1 development.  Litigation over the Pier 6 development is currently pending in New York State Supreme Court, New York County.

SPR represented the Hudson Yards Development Corporation and the City of New York in the preparation of an environmental impact statement for the redevelopment of the Long Island Rail Road’s Caemmerer West Side Storage Yard as a 6-million square foot mixed-use project.

SPR represented Empire State Development on the 35-acre rezoning for and development of Columbia University’s new West Harlem graduate campus.  SPR advised on the environmental impact statement, General Project Plan, and the historic resource review.  As co-counsel, the Firm successfully litigated a condemnation challenge through the N.Y. Court of Appeals.

SPR represents the New York State Thruway Authority with respect to the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which connects Westchester and Rockland counties across the Hudson River.  SPR advised as to the project’s environmental review pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act and State Environmental Quality Review Act, and with regard to the environmental permitting and related requirements under both state and federal laws.  SPR also assisted in critical negotiations with public interest groups in order to avoid potential litigation challenging the project.

SPR represented the New York Yankees with respect to the development of the new Yankee Stadium, which included the construction of additional parking facilities and the creation of new parkland and recreational facilities at and in the immediate vicinity of the existing stadium and along the Harlem River.  The Firm served as co-counsel in successfully defending lawsuits challenging the approvals for the project in both state and federal courts.

SPR serves and environmental and construction counsel for the developer in connection with the restoration and redevelopment of the historic “Empire Stores” warehouses located in Brooklyn Bridge Park.  The warehouses were initially constructed between 1869 and 1885, and were used to store coffee and other goods along the East River, but remained largely abandoned between the 1960s and the commencement of redevelopment in 2013.  Now transformed into an office, restaurant, and retail complex, the Empire Stores have been described as the “crown jewel” of the Park.

SPR represents a major industrial client in connection with the Federal government’s investigation and remediation of the Lower Passaic River.  The cleanup, part of the Diamond Akali Superfund Site, is the largest planned remediation in U.S. Superfund history.