Troubled high-profile projects such as Related Companies’ Moynihan
Station and Solow Development’s East River site were among the city’s
developments with the highest lobbying expenses in 2008, a review of
city records by The Real Deal shows. Developers and real estate associations paid more than $11.5 million in
lobbying expenses to law firms and consulting companies, with the
Related Companies topping the list last year with $898,104 in payments
for all its projects citywide, the analysis of data from the City Clerk
Web site reveals. Among its expenses, Related paid $300,817 for lobbying for the delayed
Moynihan Station, while Solow paid $466,384 for the East River
development site, out of a total of $556,384. Solow is facing lawsuits
from lenders at the project. Forest City Ratner, which spent a total of
$555,741 on lobbying efforts, spent $500,741 on Atlantic Yards, which
has been delayed by successive lawsuits.
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