Donald M. Pepe and Patrick T. Conlon Secure Appellate Ruling Dismissing Challenge to Jersey City Improvement Project
Little Falls, NJ – October 22, 2025 – Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC has secured a significant appellate win on behalf of the Exchange Place Alliance District Management Corporation. The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of a suit challenging the Jersey City Planning Board’s decision to greenlight a publicly funded renovation project in Jersey City’s Exchange Place Special Improvement District overseen by the non-profit.
Plaintiffs Jeanne Daly, Polish American Strategic Initiative, Inc., and Polish American Strategic Initiative Educational Organization, Inc. challenged the Jersey City Planning Board’s decision to recommend the renovation project. The trial court ruled in favor of the Jersey City Planning Board and Exchange Place Alliance District Management, and the Appellate Division agreed.
“Because the renovation project has now been completed and because plaintiffs are not seeking to dismantle the project, we hold that plaintiffs’ claims are moot, and we dismiss this appeal,” the Appellate Division held.
Given that the plaintiffs’ claims involved a publicly funded project, the appeals court still considered them. It found that the Board’s recommendation was not “arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable,” and none of the plaintiffs’ other challenges warranted a reversal of the Board’s recommendation.
The Legal Team
Exchange Place Alliance District Management Corp was represented by Partner Donald M. Pepe and Senior Associate Patrick T. Conlon of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Department. Mr. Pepe has a reputation as one of the top legal professionals in New Jersey’s commercial real estate industry, especially in Hudson County, where he has spent several years actively involved in the redevelopment of Jersey City’s Gold Coast, including significant contributions in Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and Fort Lee.
“The court’s decision confirms that the Exchange Place Alliance District Management Corporation can move forward with its important work to improve Jersey City,” said Mr. Pepe. “Had a different result occurred, the Exchange Place Alliance District Management Corporation would have continued to be bogged down in meritless litigation.”
The case is Jeanne Daly et al. v. Exchange Place Alliance District Management Corp. et al., case number A-4021-23, in the New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division. The full decision is available here.
About Scarinci Hollenbeck
Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC is a premier law firm specializing in key practice areas important for success in today’s business world. With extensive experience in Commercial Real Estate & Land Use, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Transactions & Business, Emerging Technologies including Blockchain, AI, Cryptocurrency, Environmental Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Tax, Trusts & Estates, the firm provides tailored legal solutions to meet the unique challenges of businesses in New Jersey, New York, and surrounding areas.
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