“If we didn't win this case this project would not go forward,” said Alan Knauf. It's the best Christmas gift attorney Alan Knauf could've received. Knauf represents Lighthouse Pointe Properties Associates LLC. Last Thursday a State Supreme Court judge ruled that the Department of Environmental Conservation was wrong when it declared a strip of land along the waterfront in Irondequoit was not a “brownfield”. ”Judge Tadeo issued a ruling that we just received that said the DEC was wrong. This is a brownfield and the DEC has to admit this property in to brownfield cleanup program which allows us to go forward,” said Knauf. Lighthouse Pointe wants to turn a 47-acre strip along the Genesee near the O'Rourke Bridge into upscale condos, townhouses, restaurants, and a promenade. Earlier this year the DEC declared the property ineligible for Brownfield clean up tax credit. Knauf says that was prompting some investors to shy away from the project. “The lenders don’t want to lend on the property unless we go through a process that’s supervised by the DEC so you’ve got to let this into the program,” said Knauf. Lighthouse estimates the cost of getting the site ready for development could cost between $4 and $8 million dollars. If the new ruling stands the DEC could help with the cost and oversee the cleanup. “I’m hopeful that they'll decide this is a pretty sell reasoned decision and there’s no reason to challenge this anymore,” said Knauf.
