Home
Search

Maria Pracher

TEL: 415.434.9100
FAX: 415.434.3947

Email | Download vCard

San Francisco
Four Embarcadero Center
Seventeenth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111

Practices

Maria Pracher

Print PDF

 

Maria Pracher is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Pracher has over 28 years of land use experience counseling clients undertaking complex development and planning projects in California.  She has represented clients in preparing land use plans, multi-phased development plans, large residential and commercial projects, mixed use projects, hotels, oil developments, coastal resorts, landfill projects, and redevelopment projects.  Her practice involves providing legal and strategic advice and managing the local, regional and state regulatory approval process for large projects, including leading the technical consultant team and negotiating with the regulators and other stakeholder groups.  She has extensive experience in structuring a broad range of complex environmental review documents under the California Environmental Quality Act.  Additionally, she has represented applicants for coastal development permits and local coastal programs under the California Coastal Act, including The Irvine Company and the Koll Company. 

Education

  • J.D., Golden Gate University, 1981, highest honors, national Dean's List nominee, law review
  • B.A., Mills College, 1978, honors awarded upon graduation

Representative Matters

Ms. Pracher has provided the land use entitlement and CEQA advice for the developers of the following recent major projects in the Bay Area:

Candlestick Point/Hunters Point Shipyard Phase II Project, San Francisco

Ms. Pracher represented Lennar in connection with the EIR prepared for the development of the 700-acre Candlestick Point/Hunters Point Shipyard Phase II project. This project will create a major new neighborhood in San Francisco with 10,500 residential units, over 300 acres of parks and open space, 885,000 square feet of regional and neighborhood retail space, artist space, 2,650,000 square feet of research and development space, new infrastructure and community facilities, significant community benefits and the opportunity for a new football stadium. The EIR received the 2011 Hard-Won Victories award from both the California American Planning Association and the Northern California Section of the APA.

Hunters Point Shipyard Phase I, San Francisco

Ms. Pracher represented Lennar in connection with the environmental review and local entitlements for the first phase of the redevelopment of the Hunters Point Shipyard, which includes new infrastructure, 1600 homes, commercial space and open space.

Uptown Redevelopment Project, Oakland

Ms. Pracher represented Forest City Development in preparing the EIR and obtaining the land use approvals for one of the most significant urban redevelopment efforts in Oakland's history — the "Uptown" project, located on a 14-acre site in the heart of the City between San Pablo and Telegraph Avenues north of City Hall. The project calls for 1,000 new apartments and condominium units and substantial retail and commercial development. It also involves a combination of financing sources, including tax exempt, mortgage revenue bonds, affordable housing tax credits, tax increment financing, direct subsidies from the City and Redevelopment Agency totaling nearly $50 million and private investment by an institutional equity partner.

Oak to Ninth Street, Oakland

Ms. Pracher represented Signature Properties in connection with the EIR and land use approvals for the redevelopment of the Oak to Ninth Street site in Oakland, a 64-acre site along the Oakland Estuary. The project proposes conversion of a former industrial site to a new mixed-use community, including 3,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of commercial uses, and 32 acres of open space uses.

MacArthur BART Transit Village, Oakland

Ms. Pracher represented MacArthur Transit Community Partners in connection with approval of the transit-oriented development known as MacArthur Transit Village. The project is a new mixed use village consisting of 675 residential units, community and commercial space, open space, a new BART parking garage, and significant circulation improvements at the existing MacArthur BART station. Ms. Pracher provided advice regarding the preparation of the EIR, land use approvals, and negotiation of a development agreement. 

Broadway/West Grand Mixed Use Project, Oakland

Ms. Pracher represented Signature Properties in preparing the EIR and obtaining the land use approvals for a mixed use project in downtown Oakland at the corner of Broadway and West Grant Avenue. The project redeveloped the site with more than 400 residential units and approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

St. Joseph's Hospital Adaptive Reuse Project, Oakland

Ms. Pracher provided land use entitlement and CEQA advice to Bridge Housing for the St. Joseph's Hospital Adaptive Reuse project. The project was approved to allow for the rehabilitation of the historic St. Joseph's site, including new construction for senior and affordable housing.

Oakland Zoo Master Plan, Oakland

Ms. Pracher represented the Oakland Zoo in connection with the preparation of environmental review and approval of amendments to the Oakland Zoo Master Plan that allow construction of a new state-of-the art veterinary hospital (currently underway) and new exhibit areas highlighting native California species, such as wolves, grizzly bears and mountain lions. 

Vallejo Station and Waterfront Project, Vallejo

Ms. Pracher represented Callahan/DeSilva in preparing the EIR and obtaining the land use approvals for the Vallejo Station, a multimodal transportation facility and mixed-use transit village, and several residential communities with new parks and open space along the Vallejo Waterfront. The project includes over 1,200 residential units, over 560,000 square feet of commercial development, a major transit hub, public parks and plazas, and a new ferry parking facility. 

Pacific Union College and Eco-Village Project, Napa County

Ms. Pracher represented the College in connection with the proposed development of an eco-village with 380 residences, commercial uses, an agricultural preserve, open space, college housing, and infrastructure improvements.

Honors

  • Best Lawyers in America, Land Use & Zoning Law, 2010, 2011, 2012
  • Northern California Super Lawyers, San Francisco Magazine, (multiple years)
  • AV® Rating, Martindale Hubbell

Memberships

  • Member, State Bar of California
  • Member, Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Member, ULI (Urban Land Institute)
  • Member, CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women)

Articles

Speeches

  • Ms. Pracher has lectured at the California Continuing Education of the Bar Real Property Institute, the CLE International California Wetlands Conference, the CLE International Land Use Conference, and the Lorman CEQA Seminar.
 
Legal Notice/Privacy | Site Map | Attorney Advertising | Site by Firmseek | © 2012 Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP