Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 18, 2025
NYC Real Estate Expert Reveals Secrets to Navigating City Development Challenges
TLDR
- Kasirer's government relations expertise provides developers with strategic advantages in navigating NYC's complex approval processes to accelerate project timelines and secure approvals.
- Kasirer's team combines zoning expertise with political strategy to systematically guide real estate projects through community engagement and government approval processes.
- Kasirer's approach balances development goals with community needs, creating inclusive growth that improves neighborhoods while addressing New York's housing and infrastructure challenges.
- Eldad Gothelf leads Kasirer's real estate team, translating between developers and communities to transform underused sites into vibrant urban spaces through strategic government relations.
Impact - Why it Matters
This insight into government relations and real estate development matters because it reveals how major urban projects actually get approved and built in complex cities like New York. For residents, understanding this process explains why certain developments move forward while others stall, and how community concerns are balanced with development needs. For professionals in real estate, urban planning, or policy, it provides valuable lessons on navigating political landscapes, building trust with stakeholders, and creating projects that serve both private and public interests. The discussion about City of Yes zoning reforms highlights how policy changes can directly affect housing availability and neighborhood development patterns, making this relevant to anyone concerned about urban growth, affordability, and sustainable city planning.
Summary
Eldad Gothelf, Senior Vice President of Real Estate at Kasirer, one of New York's leading government relations firms, brings a unique perspective to urban development through his Master's in Urban Planning from Columbia University. Leading a team of 10 policy experts, Gothelf helps real estate clients navigate the complex intersection of politics, zoning regulations, and community engagement that defines New York City development. His work involves balancing technical expertise with political acumen, serving as a translator between developers who understand construction and elected officials who prioritize community needs.
Gothelf emphasizes that successful development requires a combination of technical understanding, political awareness, and emotional intelligence, with trustworthiness being particularly crucial in a city known for its cynicism toward both politics and real estate. He highlights the Metro-North rezoning in the Bronx as a standout project where his team worked with Himmel + Meringoff Properties to align public interests around housing, affordability, and equitable growth with private development viability. The City of Yes initiative represents a significant step forward in modernizing zoning rules to facilitate housing development and building conversions, though Gothelf notes that zoning reform alone cannot guarantee project success without financial viability and community support.
Looking ahead, Gothelf believes New York must embrace more housing, better infrastructure, and sustainable growth while maintaining transparency and shared responsibility between developers, government, and communities. His approach at Kasirer demonstrates how government relations firms can bridge the gap between private development ambitions and public priorities, creating projects that serve both client objectives and broader civic goals in one of the world's most dynamic urban environments.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, NYC Real Estate Expert Reveals Secrets to Navigating City Development Challenges
