NEW YORK CITY—In another legal blow to thedevelopment community here, the Durst Organization has been hitwith a lawsuit from the US Attorney's office that asserts thecompany has “engaged in a pattern and practice of developing rentalapartment buildings that are inaccessible to persons withdisabilities.”
In particular, the complaint centers around theHelena, a 595-unit multifamily building which Preet Bharara, USAttorney for the Southern District of New York, contends wasdesigned and constructed in violation of the design andconstruction provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act. Thebuilding also does not meet the standards of the Americans withDisabilities Act, according to the suit, which also names Durstaffiliate, the Helena Associates, LLC and architect FXFOWLEArchitects.
The suit urges Durst to amend numerous elementsof the Helena, at 601 W. 57th St., as well as 855 Ave. of theAmericas “and associated places of public accommodation,” and asksfor monetary damages for the violations to be paid by thedefendants.
Continue Reading for Free
Register and gain access to:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
*May exclude premium content
Already have an account?
Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
