Land Use and Zoning Law Real Estate Law
Robert S. Goldsmith
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2007 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Mr. Goldsmith's practice focuses on redevelopment, downtown and urban revitalization, transit oriented development, project financing and incentives, sustainable building initiatives and public-private partnerships. His experience encompasses counseling clients on the specialized issues in redevelopment related to parking demand, design and construction. Mr. Goldsmith also has broad experience in complex commercial litigation, construction litigation and appellate work.
Overview
- Rutgers University–Newark, J.D., graduated 1977
- New York University, B.A., with honors, graduated 1973
- New Jersey, NJ - 1977
- New York, NY - 1989
- Alzheimer's New Jersey, Inc. - Board of Directors; Vice Chair
- Downtown New Jersey - Board Member, Past President
- Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey - Member
- Middlesex County Bar Association - Member
- NAIOP - Member, New Jersey Chapter
- New Jersey State Bar Association - Member
- Regional Plan Association - Member, New Jersey Committee
- Rutgers School of Law-Newark Alumni Association - Member, Executive Committee; Past President
- The Counselors of Real Estate - Member, New Jersey Chapter
- New Jersey Future - Trustee and Board Member
- New Jersey, NJ - 1977
- New York, NY - 1989
- Alzheimer's New Jersey, Inc. - Board of Directors; Vice Chair
- Downtown New Jersey - Board Member, Past President
- Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey - Member
- Middlesex County Bar Association - Member
- NAIOP - Member, New Jersey Chapter
- New Jersey State Bar Association - Member
- Regional Plan Association - Member, New Jersey Committee
- Rutgers School of Law-Newark Alumni Association - Member, Executive Committee; Past President
- The Counselors of Real Estate - Member, New Jersey Chapter
- New Jersey Future - Trustee and Board Member
- Rutgers University–Newark, J.D., graduated 1977
- New York University, B.A., with honors, graduated 1973
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Land Use and Zoning Law, Woodbridge (2019)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Real Estate Law
Special Focus:
- Appellate
- Commercial
- Condemnation
- Construction
- Development
- Eminent Domain
- Finance
- Land Use
- Municipal
- Public Finance
- Residential
- Tax Certiorari
- Zoning
Awards:
Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers: Real Estate 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Selected for inclusion in ROI-NJ's listing of ROI Influencers Real Estate 2019: Power Players
Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent (a trademark of Internet Brands, Inc.) (2001 – present)
Recipient of the Associate of the Year Award from the New Jersey Builders Association (2019)
Recipient of the Chairman's Award from the New Jersey Builders Association for his exemplary service on the NJBA's Land Use & Redevelopment Committee (2016)
Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) in the Real Estate: Business, Zoning/Land Use and Eminent Domain practice areas (2010 – present)
Listed in Chambers USA (a publication of Chambers and Partners) in the Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use practice area (2006 – present)
- Recipient of a New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award (2009)
- Recipient of the President's Award for Distinguished Leadership in Planning from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (2007)
News & Media
Additional Information
Case History
Cases
- Gallenthin Realty Development, Inc. v. Borough of Paulsboro
191 N.J. 344 (N.J. 2007)
First major decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court dealing with redevelopment in 35 years.
First major decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court dealing with redevelopment in 35 years.
Transactions
- Mixed Use Redevelopment Project
Counseled a joint venture between developer Jonathan Rose Companies and JP Morgan Chase on title and construction loan closings for a mixed use redevelopment project in South Orange, NJ. The project will consist of a 215 unit LEED certified apartment building, retail space and a 500+ space parking facility, a portion of which will be available for public use. The firm advised on the transfer of property to our client pursuant to a Redevelopment Agreement previously negotiated by our team, and also negotiated a $38,500,000 construction mortgage loan for the project. The deal represents a major milestone for the project and a significant step forward for South Orange’s downtown redevelopment.
- Counsel to the Morristown Parking Authority
Mr. Goldsmith has served as Counsel to the Morristown Parking Authority since 1983, leading to broad-based involvement in numerous downtown redevelopment projects in the Town of Morristown. That representation has included involvement in three structured parking facilities creating more than 2,000 parking spaces and leveraging more than $500,000,000 in private sector investment.
- Epstein’s project
Involved in the development of the “Epstein’s project” in Morristown from 2002 to the present. The project now includes the properties known as 40 Park, the Metropolitan, the 14 Maple Avenue Office Building and the DeHart Street Garage, with an approximate value in excess of $300,000,000. Mr. Goldsmith’s services included declaration of the Area in Need of Rehabilitation, creation of the Redevelopment Plan, negotiation of tenant leases, negotiation of complex agreements for parking, access, development and allocation of costs between the Morristown Parking Authority and the private redeveloper, negotiation of contracts for the construction of the DeHart Street Garage and 14 Maple Avenue office building, and the Gold LEED certification for those properties.
- Counsel to Morristown Partnership
Serves as counsel to Morristown Partnership, a Special Improvement District established in Morristown in 1994.
- Headquarters Plaza
From 1978 – 1990, served as special counsel for the Headquarters Plaza Project, a then $100,000,000 redevelopment venture in Morristown, handling all aspects of the negotiations, contracts and litigation relating to the project.
- Pier Village and Beachfront North
Served as special counsel to the City of Long Branch with respect to the oceanfront developments of Pier Village and Beachfront North.
- Redevelopment of brownfield site
Represented Thorlabs, Inc. in negotiating the terms for the Redevelopment Agreement, Financial Agreement and financing for the redevelopment of a brownfield site in Newton for its $25,000,000 corporate headquarters and production facility.
- Negotiation of Complex Financial Agreements
Represented Somerset Development and Avalon Bay in negotiation of complex Financial Agreements for payments in lieu of taxes for residential developments in Woodridge, New Jersey.
- Redevelopment Project
Represented Landmark Properties in the development of the Landmark at Rahway redevelopment project which was recently sold to Roseland Mack Cali.
- Redevelopment Project
Represented KHovnanian in the redevelopment project of the villages at Delaware Run in Trenton, New Jersey.
- Revenue Allocation District
Represented the City of Millville, New Jersey in the creation of the first and only Revenue Allocation District in the State of New Jersey, the precursor to tax increment financing or what is now an ERG Grant.
- Teachers Village
Provided pro bono counsel to the Discovery School, a charter school in Newark, in relation to its lease and occupancy in Teachers Village, a dynamic redevelopment project in the heart of downtown Newark. Mr. Goldsmith has been proud to represent this school, which changes the lives of inner city children.
- Special Counsel for Redevelopment
Served as special counsel for redevelopment to the municipalities of Morristown, Woodbridge, Princeton, Westfield, Millville, Netcong, North Wildwood, Robbinsville and Belmar.
- Redevelopment Projects
Provided counsel with respect to redevelopment projects in Woodbridge, Rahway, South Amboy, Jersey City, Morristown, South Bound Brook, Matawan, Wildwood, Stanhope, Netcong, Phillipsburg, Trenton, Aberdeen, East Brunswick, West Orange, Bloomfield, Hoboken, Newark, South Orange, Linden and Cranford.
- Special Improvement Districts
Guided Newark in the creation of the Newark Downtown District SID, the Bergen Lyons and Clinton SID and the SID funding mechanism for the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- Special Improvement Districts
Serves as counsel to Special Improvement Districts in the Wildwoods, Livingston, Seaside Heights, and Newark.
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