The District of Columbia’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) plays an outsized role in shaping neighborhoods, housing outcomes, and development timelines. The BZA is an independent, quasi‑judicial body responsible for hearing zoning variances, special exceptions, and appeals of decisions made
Get the Dirt
Get the Dirt, published by Cozen O'Connor, focuses on legal developments and regulatory changes affecting real estate, land use, and zoning in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The blog covers topics such as tenant rights and housing legislation, including the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act and the RENTAL Act; urban development initiatives like office-to-residential conversions and tax abatement programs; zoning and permitting challenges for data centers and other commercial projects; and administrative changes within local government agencies impacting building and zoning enforcement. It provides updates on how these legal and policy shifts influence property owners, developers, investors, and community planning.
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D.C. Apartment Investors Affected by the RENTAL Act
Developers, operators, buyers, and sellers of apartment buildings in D.C., whether market rate, mixed-rate, or 100% affordable housing, will be impacted by the impending RENTAL Act (aka, the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants, and Landlords (RENTAL) Act of 2025). The D.C.…
Deal for Wizards and Capitals is a Major Win for Downtown D.C.
By Eric DeBear
Last week, downtown D.C. received another huge boost when it was announced that Mayor Bowser and Monumental Sports entered into a non-binding agreement that will keep the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals playing in Capital One Arena for decades to…
How Zoning Changes Will Impact Data Centers & the Energy Market
The data center permitting and entitlement review process might be getting more difficult in Northern Virginia. Home to nearly 300 data centers, Northern Virginia has become known as “Data Center Alley.” Scattered across Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William counties, these…
Mayor Bowser Announces Tax Abatement Program to Spur Downtown Residential Conversions
By Eric DeBear
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the writing has been on the wall that downtown D.C. could use a breath of fresh air. With office vacancy rates skyrocketing, the Bowser administration has made no secret of its desire to resuscitate…
Major Shake Up in the Department of Buildings’ Zoning Division
It is a New Year for D.C. zoning and we are all wondering what 2023 will bring given the recent changes at the Department of Buildings. As of October 2022, the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) was…
D.C. Council Considers Changes to Condominium Warranty Adjudication Process
If the COVID-19 pandemic was
not already difficult enough on the D.C. real estate development community,
recent proposed legislation by the D.C. Council might make developing
condominiums in the city more challenging.
On September 17, 2020, the D.C. Council’s Committee…
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration Issues Fines to Restaurants and Bars Violating Social Distancing Measures
Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, said during his testimony before a Senate subcommittee on
September 16 that wearing face masks may be more effective than a vaccine at
protecting against COVID-19. What is…
Zoning Commission Approves Six-Month Extension of Orders Expiring Through December 31, 2020
As
part of the initial flurry of administrative and regulatory changes in response
to the ongoing pandemic, the Zoning Commission (Commission) took emergency
action to approve a text amendment to the Zoning Regulations extending the
validity of approval orders that…
Zoning Commission Moves to Clarify Regulations for Virtual Meetings and Hearings
By Eric DeBear
As COVID-19-related closures are likely to continue into 2021, the
Zoning Commission (Commission) recently took emergency proposed action to further
clarify the rules and procedures for virtual meetings and hearings. The text
amendment applies to Commission and Board of Zoning…