Rachel is an attorney in the Real Estate Group, and her practice focuses on zoning and entitlements. Rachel helps clients navigate governmental requirements and relations, approval procedures, and permitting for real estate development. Rachel’s representative experience includes major universities, health care providers, other institutions, and energy clients. Rachel also has significant experience representing clients in real estate tax appeals, tax exemption applications and challenges, economic incentives, and real estate litigation.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Assisted the Pittsburgh Penguins for the development of the 28 acre Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh, the former home of the National Hockey League team. The project will eventually consist of over 1 million square feet of residential, office, retail, entertainment and hospitality options. There is also a significant affordable housing component to the project. The drive to complete a new master plan for the site involved substantial revisions to the Penguins’ existing redevelopment option agreements along with concurrent efforts connected to tax incentives that included a LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) and the explorations of options found in the Federal Opportunity Zone regulations that are part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We also assisted with the creation of a Master Owners Association that will govern the common area, residential, office, retail and entertainment venues on the new site along with the new home of the Penguins, PPG Paints Arena. With the long term help of the firm, a $500 million project that can revitalize entire neighborhoods is now ready to break ground.
Assisted the Pittsburgh Penguins for the development of the 28 acre Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh, the former home of the National Hockey League team. The project will eventually consist of over 1 million square feet of residential, office, retail, entertainment and hospitality options. There is also a significant affordable housing component to the project. The drive to complete a new master plan for the site involved substantial revisions to the Penguins’ existing redevelopment option agreements along with concurrent efforts connected to tax incentives that included a LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance) and the explorations of options found in the Federal Opportunity Zone regulations that are part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We also assisted with the creation of a Master Owners Association that will govern the common area, residential, office, retail and entertainment venues on the new site along with the new home of the Penguins, PPG Paints Arena. With the long term help of the firm, a $500 million project that can revitalize entire neighborhoods is now ready to break ground.
Recognitions
- Selected through peer review for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© "Ones to Watch" list for Real Estate Law, 2021-2025
Credentials
Education
Education
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 2012, J.D.
- Pennsylvania State University, 2008, B.A., Economics and International Politics
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- Pennsylvania