Diversity and inclusion efforts increase in the infrastructure industry, a recent United Nations report on climate change highlights its potential effects on real estate, construction projects fall behind schedule due to labor shortages, and more. Transportation agencies and industry experts strive to make the infrastructure workplace more inclusive through diversity…
Articles Posted in Real Estate
Real Estate & Construction News Round-Up (8/11/21)
Proptech and office return delays continue to grow, the new infrastructure bill could track your travel data, investor activity shows an expectation that business properties will rebound after COVID-19 shutdowns, and more. The Tel Aviv and London-based startup Buildots leverages the power of AI to modernize the construction management industry.…
New York Climate Mobilization Act Update: Reducing Carbon Emissions and Funding Solutions
In our June 16 CMA Update, we discussed how the New York City Climate Mobilization Act (CMA) will affect building owners and the market for CMBS mortgage loans (loans pooled and resold as commercial mortgage-backed securities). (For more information on C-PACE financing, see Sustainable Buildings and Development: Carbon Emissions and…
Apportionment of Sales Tax on Software Through General Abatement Process, Massachusetts High Court Approves
Software is critical for countless businesses in the real estate and construction industries. After the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s recent decision in Oracle, there may be a sales tax refund opportunity for businesses (including real estate, construction companies) that license software for use in Massachusetts and in other states. Read…
Proposed Cyber Incident Notification Act of 2021 and the Real Estate Industry
On July 21, 2021, a group of bipartisan Senators formally introduced the Cyber Incident Notification Act of 2021. This legislation, if passed, would require nearly all federal contractors and subcontractors (at all tiers) to report actual and potential cybersecurity intrusions to the Department of Homeland Security within 24 hours. Unlike…
Supreme Court Declines to Address CDC Eviction Moratorium
In a closely watched 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court sided against the challengers to the eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), keeping a stay in place that leaves the eviction ban in effect through July 31. The CDC has indicated it will not…
The Risks and Rewards of Sustainable Building Design
The shift towards a “greener” environment has resulted in cities and states implementing electrification mandates, which will have a major impact on both current and future building design. Currently, most commercial and residential end users are already all-electric. However, there are some exceptions, such as space and water heating, that…
Connection Corner: Drew DeWalt of Rhumbix
The Real Estate and Construction industry may be huge, but ultimately, as with all industries, it comes down to the people who help make it all come together. From time to time, we like to profile some of those people. Drew DeWalt is COO of Rhumbix, a construction computer software…
A Court-Side Seat: SCOTUS Clarifies Alien Tort Statute and WOTUS Is Revisited
What follows is a brief account of some of the notable U.S. environmental and administrative law cases recently decided. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT Nestle USA, Inc. et al. v. Doe, et al. The Supreme Court has decided another important case interpreting the Alien Tort Statute. Released on June 17, 2021,…
Update Regarding New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act (CMA) and the Reduction of Carbon Emissions in New York City
In a previous post, we described how the New York City Climate Mobilization Act, 2019 (the CMA, or Local Laws 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, and 147 enacted in 2019) was passed with the goal of reducing New York City’s carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and by 80…