Durst Sued For ADA, Fair Housing Violations

NEW YORK CITY—In another legal blow to the development community here, the Durst Organization has been hit with a lawsuit from the US Attorney’s office that asserts the company has “engaged in a pattern and practice of developing rental apartment buildings that are inaccessible to persons with disabilities.”

In particular, the complaint centers around the Helena, a 595-unit multifamily building which Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, contends was designed and constructed in violation of the design and construction provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act. The building also does not meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the suit, which also names Durst affiliate, the Helena Associates, LLC and architect FXFOWLE Architects.