Carl S. Primavera

Carl is widely acknowledged as one of the area’s premier zoning and land use attorneys. Carl works closely with architects, engineers and construction professionals to achieve his clients’ goals quickly and efficiently and has the skills to navigate the bureaucratic maze, which surrounds the development of real estate in both urban areas and outlying suburban communities.

He has written and lectured extensively on a variety of topics including zoning and land use, real estate development, real estate tax assessments, the appeals process, and litigating real estate disputes.

Quoted, “Hill Zoning Clash Reaches State’s Highest Court,” Chestnut Hill Local, August 7, 2024

Quoted, “Pa. Supreme Court will weigh in on Pottstown Hospital property tax exemption,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 16, 2023

Quoted, “Philadelphia’s zoning board denies ‘granny flat’ proposal for iconic Venturi house,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 2023

Quoted, “E-commerce May Bring a New UPS Warehouse to Philadelphia. Neighbors Say No, Thanks,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 7, 2020

Quoted, “‘Not gonna break my bank’: Developers say coronavirus won’t end Philly’s real estate boom,” WHYY, April 1, 2020

Quoted, “City postpones ruling on Bart Blatstein’s Delaware River waterfront Wawa,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 13, 2019

Quoted, “Northeast Philly man’s planning roadblock shows how Councilman Brian O’Neill shapes the neighborhood,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 30, 2019

Quoted, “Court blocks Arizona-based youth agency from moving undocumented migrant children into North Philly shelter,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 3, 2019

Quoted, “Philly officials appeal court ruling, seek to stop VisionQuest from moving migrant children into Logan shelter,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 17, 2019

Quoted, “Main Line Health purchases St. Charles seminary property,” The Delaware County Daily Times, May 26, 2019

Co-Author, Chapter focused on a case they successfully litigated in state and Federal court involving zoning, land use and the ADA, American Bar Association, “An Introduction to Health Law Litigation Based On Contract and Government Claims.” April 2016,

Presenter, “A New Day Has Arrived – Real Estate Perspective On The New Philadelphia”, The Urban Land Institute, September 4, 2008

Co-Author, “Current Issues, Trends in Philadelphia Real Estate Development,” The Legal Intelligencer, March 24, 2004

Presenter, “Legal and Business Perspectives on The Development Process; Capital Markets, Business Practices and Ethics”, Delaware Valley Chapter of The Counselors of Real Estate in conjunction with Temple University Real Estate Institute, 2000

Author, “Land Use Law Updated”, National Business Institute, 2000

Presenter, “Navigating the Maze: A Practitioner’s Guide through the City of Philadelphia’s Zoning and Land Use Agencies”, The Justinian Society, 1998

Presenter, “Life in the Big City II: Selected Topics for Municipal Attorneys”, Philadelphia Bar Education Center, 1996

Presenter, “Locally Unpopular Land Uses”, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1996

Presenter, “Helping Real Estate Clients Do Business in Philadelphia”, co-sponsored by the Real Property Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Education Center, 1995

Presenter, “Municipal Court Code Enforcement Actions”, Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society Seminar, 1995

Presenter, “Zoning Law in Philadelphia”, VIP Training, 1994

Presenter, “Boundary Disputes in Pennsylvania”, National Business Institute, 1992

Presenter, “Boundary Law in Pennsylvania”, National Business Institute, 1991

Presenter, “Civil Trial Tactics in Municipal Court”, panelist at the Philadelphia Bar Association Bench Bar Conference in Baltimore, MD, by the Municipal court Committee, 1990

Presenter, “Philadelphia Administrative Law”, Professional Education Committee of Philadelphia Bar Association, 1988

Presenter, “Zoning Law and Practice in Pennsylvania”, Philadelphia Bar Institute, 1988

• Represent developers of significant Center City real estate in regard to the permits and approvals necessary for construction of office buildings, parking garages and mixed use projects, including the parking facility for the Regional Performing Art Center and the conversion of the former SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceutical Facility to the “Networks” Building which serves as a major telecom and e-commerce hotel.
• Represent major owners and developers of real estate in connection with real estate tax exemptions, abatements and assessment appeals, including Graduate Health System and Thomas Jefferson University.
• Represent high-profile restaurants for zoning, building and other development and licensing approvals. Restaurants include McCormick & Schmick, Ruth’s Chris, Cuba Libre, Alma de Cuba, Morimoto, Starbucks, Kansas City Prime, and Bucca di Beppo.
• Represent real estate developers with regard to condemnation proceedings and related damages concerning urban renewal programs, PennDOT acquisitions and related exercise of the powers of eminent domain by governmental and quasi-governmental agencies and authorities including work for Oliver Tyron Pulver in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and Delancey-Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• Administrative proceedings and related appeals and litigation concerning highly regulated industries including solid waste facilities, outdoor advertising displays and related businesses which are subject to stringent local, state, and federal regulation including Eller Media Company (outdoor advertising) and Advanced Organics (food processing).