- Representation of a developer in the acquisition, financing and development of affordable assisted living facilities in the District of Columbia, utilizing bond financing and low-income housing tax credits.
- Representation of a national retail company in lease and fee development transactions.
- Representation of a developer in the acquisition, finance, and development of 150 units of senior housing within a larger condominium building containing market-rate, retail, and parking, utilizing bond financing and low-income housing tax credits.
- Representation of a Baltimore regional housing organization in affordable housing transactions implementing a regional desegregation order and in entering into a new lease for its offices.
- Representation of a client ground leasing a site for the eventual construction of its new headquarters.The transaction involved the negotiation of the ground lease, a development agreement, and documents relating to a loan from the lessee to the lessor secured by the fee estate.
- Representation of the developer of mixed-use, mixed-income projects involving land disposition and tax increment financing from the City of Baltimore, low-income tax credits from the State of Maryland, and FHA-insured construction financing on due diligence, closing, and construction matters and structuring financing for future phases.
- Representation of a family-owned company in the acquisition and refinance of mixed-used commercial and residential projects, commercial leasing matters, and in the negotiation of construction contracts.
- Negotiation of a build-to-suit lease for a 550,000 square foot office building to serve as a client’s new headquarters.
- Representation of a family-owned company in the development of a mixed-used project with 360 residential units, including the negotiation of a construction contract and loan documents.
- Representation of a large national developer in the drafting and negotiation of a form of master lease to allow a PHA to lease units in new market-rate developments for sublease to very low-income families.
- Representation of a client in the financing of green infrastructure projects generating transferrable storm water credits.
- Representation of a client in making loans from a Capital Magnet Fund award from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
Gwendolyn M. Allen
Columbia, MD Office
Gwendolyn M. Allen practices in the areas of commercial real estate and affordable housing development. Gwen advises clients in a variety of real estate transactions covering a wide array of developments, including affordable and mixed-income housing and mixed-use developments. Gwen’s practice includes the representation of lenders and borrowers in real estate financings; parties purchasing, selling, developing and redeveloping real estate; and landlords and tenants in commercial leasing matters.
Selected Recent Transactions
Awards, Community and Professional Activities
- Member, Maryland State Bar Association, Real Property Section
- Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
- Member, Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition
- Member, International Council of Shopping Centers
- Leadership Anne Arundel Flagship Program Class of 2018
- University of Maryland School of Law Community Scholar Award 2008
Education
University of Maryland School of Law, J.D. cum laude
Saint Louis University, Masters in Urban Planning
University of Kansas, B.A. in Architectural Studies, with Distinction
Bar Admission
Maryland Bar
District of Columbia Bar