Anne S. Babineau

Anne S. Babineau is a shareholder and serves as Senior Counsel – Special Projects in the Real Estate and Redevelopment group at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. Ms. Babineau represents developers, investors, owners, tenants, and governmental entities, structuring transactions, obtaining government approvals, and counseling clients undertaking redevelopment projects. Leveraging the strengths of Wilentz’s resources in land use, environmental, public finance, real property, and governmental entities law, and experience working with public and private entities (Redevelopment Coordinated Services), the Firm has helped clients find solutions that turned problem properties into productive projects on some of the most iconic and challenging projects in New Jersey, including:

• The Redeveloper/Property Owner of a two block, 8 acre site in Montclair has been working with the Firm on the development of Project designed by the Town pursuant to a Redevelopment Plan that calls for a supermarket, 240 market rate apartments, 60 affordable and work force homes, 75,000 of office and retail, creation of plazas and open space and rehabilitation of the key elements of the Historic Lackawanna Terminal. The project which was designed by Gensler and Dattner Architects, and with Langan Engineering, will bring an investment in Montclair of over $326M in a site that had long laid fallow despite its prime location a short block from 2 train stations, as the project has been delayed due to litigation. However a PILOT Agreement and a recent Court affirmance of the Town’s Plan now allows the project to begin to advance to a site plan application.
• In Bayonne, the Firm has counseled the Redeveloper through the process of execution of a Redevelopment Agreement, PILOT Agreement and approval of a General Development Plan for redevelopment on a 19 acre site on a portion of Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) where the City is eager to take advantage of the views of New York Harbor pursuant to a Redevelopment Plan which calls for the City’s first high rise development on the Peninsula.
• In Woodbridge, the Firm has worked with a major industrial developer to acquire and then to contract for the implementation of the Town’s Redevelopment Plan for a state of the art logistics center in the section of Woodbridge closest to highways that will lead to the Port of NYNJ, providing last mile delivery to a key market. Working closely with the Municipality, the Firm not only worked on the initial Redevelopment Agreement and PILOT, but is has assisted the client in navigating the challenges presented during implementation of the Plan, such as facilitating new traffic patterns in the area, issues related to a development of a brownfields property which the Redeveloper was required to acquire for the Town, and obtaining land use approvals.
• Transformation of a former General Dynamics factory in Woodbridge with an arts-focused, transit-oriented, redevelopment project featuring 500 residential units, a publicly operated performance space, and retail and restaurant space, immediately adjacent to a train line to New York City,
• A mixed-use project on a former 60-acre golf course, featuring a privately owned publicly accessible park,
• Revitalization of the industrial port area of Newark with a warehouse logistics centers employing over 400 people,
• Structuring a payment in lieu of tax agreement that allowed one of the nation’s largest wholesale food distributors to remain in Elizabeth in a state-of-the-art facility,
• Deployment of NJEIT/RAB financing to transform three landfills in Carteret into an over one million square foot commercial ratable, and
• Leveraging the opportunity presented by Post-Superstorm Sandy Funding to finance a mixed-use project with affordable housing in Pleasantville.

Results achieved in prior matters are not meant to be a guarantee of success as the facts and legal circumstances vary from matter to matter.

Ms. Babineau has been consistently ranked by Chambers USA since 2011 and the Real Estate/Redevelopment Team has been distinguished with a Band 1 ranking since 2014.

She has received numerous recognitions, honors, and awards, including:

• A Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers since 2008
• Appointment to the Executive Committee at Rutgers Center for Real Estate in 2017
• Land Use Legacy Award from Urban Land Institute in 2013
• Smart Growth Leadership Award from New Jersey Future in 2015
• Best Fifty Women in Business by NJBIZ in 2017
• Recognition in Best Lawyers in America since 2005 for Real Estate Law and since 2022 for Land Use and Zoning Law. She was recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" in 2018 and 2020 for Real Estate Law and in 2025 for Land Use and Zoning Law
• Officer and Executive Board Member of New Jersey Future
• Appointed to the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, a catalyst for redevelopment in Newark

Chambers USA® (https://chambers.com/about-us/methodology) is published by Chambers and Partners.

Best Lawyers in America® (https://www.bestlawyers.com/methodology) is published by Best Lawyers.

The American College of Real Estate Lawyers (https://www.acrel.org) is an invitation only membership limited to United States real estate lawyers. See the membership selection criteria and requirements at: https://www.acrel.org/page/MemberSelectionGuide.

NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business List (https://njbiz.com/runs-world-2021-best-50-women-business-honorees/) is published by BridgeTower Media. Nominations come from outside submissions and honorees were selected by an independent panel of judges.

Real Estate Forum Women of Influence list (https://www.globest.com/real-estate-forum/) is published by ALM Media Properties, LLC.  Selection is via a nomination process that recognizes “women helping to shape the commercial real estate industry.”

A description of the selection processes may be accessed via the above links. The aforementioned organizations are private peer review organizations, not court-specific, public certification vehicles. No aspect of this advertisement has been submitted to or approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Ms. Babineau is also a regular speaker at professional forums on redevelopment including the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and New Jersey Future's Redevelopment Forum. For over 20 years, Ms. Babineau taught Rutgers/DCA’s Principles of Redevelopment for Redevelopment Agency Executive Directors. She has also been called upon to testify on redevelopment issues before the N.J. State Legislature.

Earlier in her career, in addition to her redevelopment work, Ms. Babineau has represented:

• Verizon New Jersey
• Public Utility Service Electric & Gas Co.
• New Jersey American Water Co.
• Elizabethtown Water Company
• Thames Water Holdings Incorporated and RWE