Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Real Estate Law Blog

According to the Charleston Gazette, over 700 Teamster pipeline construction workers will be walking off their jobs following failed negotiations regarding proposed changes to the Pipe Line Contractors Association’s retirement programs. Around 200 workers-whose contracts expired on December 31-will come from West Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to a spokesman from Teamsters.

New information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the number of new housing projects increased 9.3 percent in November to make for the biggest increase in 19 months. Multifamily projects saw much greater increases than other proejcts, however, having risen 23.5 percent from last year.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. will soon be engaging in a stadium-area development project in South Philadelphia by the name of Philly LIVE! on Pattison Ave. Plans for the restaurant-entertainment district were presented at the stadium complex on Thursday.

Our readers may be aware of the recent developments with regard to a Casino planned for South Philadelphia. The investors behind the project had their casino license revoked by the Gaming Control Board last year after repeated delays in beginning construction.

In our last post, we noted that nationwide spending on construction has increased for the third month in a row for both housing and commercial projects. Residential properties include not only single-family housing, but also apartment dwellings. Commercial projects include a number of different types of property, ranging from educational and hotel projects, to religious and manufacturing properties.

Nationwide construction spending in October reportedly rose 0.8 percent from September, marking the third month in a row of increased spending on housing and commercial project construction. Spending in August and September apparently increased by 0.2 percent each month, making the October increases significant.

On Monday, city officials announced plans to construct a facility for the Philadelphia Police Mounted Unit on Chamounix Drive. The facility is set to be 13,000 square feet, constructed of steel, and is intended to house around 40 horses. The site itself is adjacent to the McCarthy Stables, which is also known as the Chamounix Equestrian Center. The facility’s barn will be set up for 42 stables, five feed stalls, four track room, and three wash stalls fully equipped with indoor plumbing.

A permit granted to Occupy Philly protestors reportedly expires at the beginning of a large project to renovate the City Hall plaza. City officials reportedly posted notices on Wednesday at the site informing protesters they will need to vacate the plaza and have all their personal belongings removed. The construction project has apparently been in the works for some time.

According to a recent report by Transportation for America, about 20 percent of bridges in the Philadelphia area deficient and in need of improvement. That makes Philadelphia third in line for American cities with deficient bridges. The study noted that deficient, however, doesn’t necessarily mean unsafe, but simply that they need improvement as there has been deterioration of one or more of its major components.

Legal issues can become important in any construction or development project. From the initial permitting process, to the completion of construction, experienced real estate attorneys are familiar with the many legal issues that can arise and potentially derail a project.