Getting to know Arie Isaacs

Arie Isaacs, Senior Zoning and Code Manager, is known for his passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to HLZAE. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day Expediting Department operations at the firm. Working with the applicant of record and the client, our expediting team creates a filing strategy that considers client requirements, scheduling constraints, and budgetary concerns. At HLZAE, we are experienced with all types of filings – Interior, Exterior, Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Alarm and we are familiar with the requirements of municipal agencies regarding each one. Arie fosters a company-wide understanding and adherence to current filing procedures. He oversees the preparation of all filing submissions to the NYC Department of Buildings, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Fire Department of New York and other city agencies. He also assists our architects and engineers with zoning/code research and filing strategies, as well as with the resolution of DOB and ECB violations.

What makes
Arie’s role so unique is that there are so many aspects to what he does. It
isn’t unusual for him to be working on 10-12 different buildings on any given
day. Prior to working in the expediting field at HLZAE,
he was a teacher for several years.  Arie has his background in education, along
with his passions for research, writing, law, and
communication, to thank for bringing him to the world of Expediting. What he enjoys the most about his
position is working together with team members and colleagues to get projects
approved and put into motion. Having his efforts play a role in this process
provides him with tremendous satisfaction.

The most challenging part of Arie’s role
is adapting to the constant changes and requirements of the various city
agencies that HLZAE interacts with. This has been especially true during the recent
pandemic when almost all city agencies transitioned to some form of digital
submission and many set up new online portals, with each operating differently.
Arie thrives in social settings, which includes face-to-face communication with
plan examiners and DOB staff, so not having these interactions has also been a challenge.

Arie is originally from Chicago and he is an
avid sports fan. He follows baseball, basketball, and football and when he isn’t
in his work attire, he’s most likely representing the windy city’s teams in
addition to the New York Yankees. He had the opportunity to meet Michael Jordan during his rookie year with
the Chicago Bulls and attended the Chicago Cubs World Series championship
parade in 2016, which had an estimated five million people, believed to be the
largest gathering of people in US history!

Arie also enjoys the Beatles, Billy Joel, and New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn. Playing the acoustic guitar is one of his favorite hobbies along with assembling 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles, a hobby he picked up during the pandemic. Arie has also had the pleasure of visiting Israel twice and is able to read, write, and speak Hebrew.

Two HLZAE projects that have provided Arie with rewarding experiences are 56-11 94 St, Queens and 225 McClellan St, Bronx. Each of these buildings were severely damaged by fire and our firm filed several jobs to repair and restore them, which enabled the tenants to return to their apartments. “It feels good to have a hand in helping people put their lives back together.” Clients rely on HLZAE’s knowledge of the New York City Department of Buildings to navigate the intricacies of municipal requirements and secure project approval and without Arie we wouldn’t be able to make this happen. From interior renovations to large-scale projects with multiple filings, Arie and our team will expertly and expeditiously manage the filing process from inception to approval to sign-off.