By Jotham Sederstrom 1/18/12 9:00am

the sit-down

steven_spinola (3)

Leading His Charge

Since 1986, Steven Spinola has served as president of the Real Estate Board of New York, the powerful lobbying arm that he has captained through two recessions, property tax reductions and a series of battles against the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Commercial Observer spoke to Mr. Spinola, 63, about what he learned in 2011, new battles for the New Year, his weakness for skiing and whether he’d rather be drinking with Robert Moses or Jane Jacobs. Hint: His answer probably won’t surprise anybody. Read More

By Steven Spinola 5/04/11 3:05pm

opinion

What Albany Needs to Do to Help the Real Estate Recovery

New York’s recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression has been slow. Though monthly job growth has been positive, unemployment is about 30 percent for the city’s construction industry. A more robust recovery with meaningful job growth will require more private sector capital investment. This capital investment is stalled due to uncertainty Read More

By William Alden 7/14/10 11:44am

Vito Lopez vs. Brooklyn’s ‘Gold Coast’

Tuesday’s hearing on the 421-a Property Tax Exemption Program almost didn’t happen.

“When we mailed out the notice and we reached out to a lot of people, there was almost no response,” Vito Lopez, chairman of the state Assembly’s housing committee, said. “So it’s quite interesting.”

At issue was whether 421-a, which gives tax breaks Read More