Starting when he first ran in 2013, Ben Kallos refused money from real estate developers and has been a critic of elected officials who do, something that has led to regulatory capture of New York City by the real estate industry.
As a Council Member, Ben Kallos, protected the landmarks law, reformed the Board of Standards and Appeals, supported the first community-led rezoning that stopped Billionaires row at 2nd Avenue, and led a borough-wide rezoning to stop supertalls in residential neighborhoods above 59th Street,.
In his second term starting in 2018, Ben chaired a City Council Land Use Subcommittee where he authored legislation to force developers to disclose financial relationships with politicians, questioned the transfer of city-controlled property to real estate developers who donated money, and uncovered that the city was giving away mansions as "affordable housing." By 2019, Ben's independence and leadership had frustrated real estate developers, leading the Council to dissolve the committee.
Ben Kallos has been recognized as one of the politicians who calls the shots on real estate by the Commercial Observer. Our firm is here to help you and your community fight real estate developers, protect your community, and fight to keep you and your neighbors from being displaced from your neighborhood.
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Figthing Over Development: Zoning & Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)
Ben Kallos has negotiated and passed multiple zonings and rezoning through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) for individual applicants in his district, including one where he was an applicant, and even led the most recent rez…
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Board of Standards and Appeals
When the City’s zoning laws were first enacted in 1916, in order to avoid triggering the takings clause of the United States Constitution, the City created the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to grant “relief” from the zoning code.…
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Landmarks Preservation Commission
As Council Member, Ben Kallos was recognized for supporting Landmarks and historic preservation. This was in part because, Ben was successful in his fight against legislation that would have weakened the city's landmarks law. Since then…
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Affordable Home Ownership
New York City Council Member Ben Kallos authored the new affordable housing system, where you can apply online for new and existing affordable housing rentals and home ownership opportunities at nyc.gov/housingconnect. In the Council, Be…
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Cooperative & Condominium Quality of Life
As New York City Council Member for the Upper East Side Ben Kallos represented many cooperatives (coops) and condominiums (condos) by making sure we not only maintained but improved quality of life. As Council Member, Ben worked with san…
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Noise & After Hours Variances (AHV)
In the New York City Council, Council Member Ben Kallos, authored the law that turned down the volume on construction noise and after hours variances (AHV) throughout New York City. As Council Member, Ben was able to work with neighbors…
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Liquor License Application Stipulations
In the City Council and now as an attorney, I have had the opportunity to help buildings negotiate stipulations that would protect them when neighboring bars, night clubs, lounges, and members clubs, were coming before the Community for…
