Land Use & Economic Development

Taking a real estate development concept from blueprint to reality can be complicated, involving several stakeholders and various private and public interests, with millions of dollars often on the line. Additionally, cities, towns, and jurisdictions are in constant competition to attract businesses to their communities and promote job growth. That is why Dickinson Wright’s land use and economic development lawyers work closely with clients to understand their overall business goals and provide practical, actionable advice.

Our land use and economic development team brings together transactional, zoning, environmental, taxation, finance, construction, land use litigation, and regulatory lawyers. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to provide comprehensive representation across a full range of land use and economic development matters.

Our Clients

Our attorneys have developed close working relationships with U.S. and Canadian builders, contractors, consultants, property owners, lenders, investors, and local, state, provincial, and federal government entities across a broad range of industries and sectors, including:

• Residential, commercial, and industrial developers
• Municipalities and other public entities
• Manufacturing businesses
• Institutional lenders
• Schools, colleges, and universities
• Nonprofits and NGOs
• Mining, oil, and gas companies and renewable energy producers
• Manufacturers, including Tier 1 suppliers
• Native American, First Nation, and tribal communities

We have also handled a wide variety of properties and projects, including:

Our Services

From the early stages of concept development and strategy through incentive procurement, land use approvals, construction, closing, and post-closing restructuring, our land use and economic development team provides comprehensive legal services while advocating for our clients’ objectives.

Land Use Development

• Advising on land acquisitions, financing, renovation, and leasing
• Obtaining zoning, rezoning, site plan, special land use, and sign approvals
• Ensuring compliance with environmental, wetlands, and water rights regulations
• Negotiating access, utility, conservation, and reciprocal easements
• Preparing site development, farmland development, and operating agreements
• Providing guidance on green building, wind rights, oil and gas, and mineral rights

Economic Development

• Implementing economic development strategies
• Drafting state and federal incentive legislation
• Facilitating alliances between businesses and local governments
• Procuring local, state, and federal incentive packages
• Advising on participation in grant programs
• Securing tax credit and tax-exempt bond financing
• Serving as bond counsel
• Structuring public-private partnerships
• Negotiating construction contracts

Condominium & Mixed-Use Development

Dickinson Wright attorneys regularly counsel clients on complex structuring, operational, and management issues involving condominium and mixed-use development projects. Among our client solutions is Accountrak, a proprietary online database that allows associations to interact in real time with our collection representatives and directly monitor the matters we handle on their behalf. We routinely act for:

We also assist associations with the day-to-day management of condominium projects, including:

Land Use Litigation, Condemnation & Eminent Domain

Our real estate lawyers also handle land use litigation in state and federal courts and represent clients in administrative proceedings. We regularly represent both owners of condemned properties and the local municipalities pursuing condemnation actions. From pre-taking planning through trials and appeals involving regulatory takings and just compensation, we work with property owners, commercial and residential developers, manufacturers, utilities, and state and local agencies to facilitate effective arrangements. We also collaborate with appraisers, engineers, consultants, and community leaders to achieve favorable outcomes for our clients.