BOMA Facts
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
  

Dear BOMA New York Members,

As I write this message, I am encouraged about the future of New York City and the commercial real estate industry that houses the many business centers and cultural epicenters of our country.  For the first time in 15-months, we are surrounded by good news.  CDC data shows 49.9% of the U.S. population is vaccinated.  The touring velocity of commercial space has increased to a revitalized level.  Consumer spending is up.  Businesses, restaurants, sports complexes, and multiple art venues are open and getting ready for Mayor de Blasio’s July 1st target date for a full reopening of the city.

While the pandemic temporarily slowed down the city, we also experienced multiple wins from the development world.  To name a few – The new Moynihan Train Hall opened in January.  One Vanderbilt opened its doors and is more than 80% leased.  La Guardia Airport’s Terminal B opened with art, indoor parks, and new gates.  Hudson Yards continues to expand, and the Javits Center is growing by more than one million square feet.

New York is strong and New Yorkers are resilient.  One metric that is indicative of the great comeback comes from Citi Bike, New York’s bike share program.  During the week of May 9 to May 15, Citi Bike recorded 631,314 rides, the highest number in its eight years of operation.  There is no question that people want to get back to enjoying everything New York City has to offer.  The financial and technology industries are leading the return to office initiative, and I expect more companies to follow in the coming weeks and over the next few months.

BOMA New York continues to add value and further stimulate the return to normalcy.  In May, we hosted a Spring Networking Event at the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar.  The evening was a classic crystal-clear spring setting, complimented by good food, fun drinks and great company.  Later in May, we hosted our annual Golf Classic.  The sold-out event was also a picture-perfect day.  I was excited to see so many familiar faces, and look forward to playing again at the Summer Invitational at Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale, NY on August 23rd.

As businesses welcome back returning workers, BOMA New York has placed a spotlight on indoor air quality (IAQ).  Our May Lunch & Learn was titled, “Understanding IAQ: What You Need to Know and Why You Should Care”.  On June 15th, BOMA New York is joining BOMA locals from Los Angeles, Chicago, Georgia, and Houston for a collaborative webinar where we will discuss best practices to prepare for a safe and successful building re-entry.  And on June 29th, our annual Energy Action Day webinar will welcome Gina Bocra, the Chief Sustainability Officer at NYC DOB as the Keynote Speaker, followed by an industry leading panel to discuss LL97 and healthy building strategies in the current real estate environment.

Over the last two years, over $55 billion has been invested into the world of PropTech.  Companies such as Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank, Camber Creek, and Fifth Wall are determined to deliver a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.  This includes operational efficiencies, indoor air quality, improved health, and carbon reduction.

As the saying goes, “With great uncertainty comes great opportunity.”  I am optimistic about the future of New York City.  I look forward to continued improvement in building occupancy, as the CRE industry delivers a more equitable and culturally diverse city.  Welcome back!


Sincerely,
Hani J. Salama, PE, LEED-AP
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
BOMA New York

Get to Know Your Board
  

Q&A WITH DIANE FIELDS, RPA, LEED AP - EMPIRE STATE REALTY TRUST, INC.
We sat down with BOMA New York Board Member – Diane Fields, RPA, LEED AP – VP, Property Management Empire State Building at Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.

Angus Systems Group
BOMA NEW YORK IN THE NEWS

BOMA New York is responsible for being a leading voice on behalf of the CRE industry, and a committed resource to the media.  Since the last issue of BOMA FACTS, please see the following news stories that featured BOMA New York, its leadership and membership.

FEATURE STORY:
BOMA NY CELEBRATES WINNERS OF BOMA MAC TOBY AWARDS

BOMA New York is proud to announce that two NYC buildings and their respective owner/manager teams have won BOMA MAC Region TOBY Awards at the recent virtual conference in April.  The media reported the achievements by SL Green Realty Corp. and Silverstein Properties.

    Real Estate Weekly – May 13, 2014
    SL Green, Silverstein Win Big at Mid-Atlantic TOBY Awards

    NYREJ – May 13, 2021
    BOMA NY Celebrates Winners of BOMA MAC TOBY Awards

    ConnectCRE – May 12, 2021
    120 Broadway, 485 Lex Win BOMA Mid Atlantic TOBY Awards

ADDITIONAL NEWS:
NYREJ – May 4, 2021
Everything (We Think) You Need To Know About Your Vertical Transportation System

NYREJ – June 1, 2021
BOMA New York Hosts Annual Golf Classic

BOWLING KINGPIN TOURNAMENT

All commercial buildings will be required to post the Energy Star Score and Letter Grade on a conspicuous location near each public entrance.  The “Building Energy Efficiency Rating Label” will be made available in the DOB NOW Public Portal property profiles as of October 1, 2021.  Postings will have to be done within 30 days.  More information HERE.

LUCY G. MOSES PRESERVATION AWARD

Neighborhoods in New York City receive their drinking water from reservoirs of the Catskill System, Croton System, Delaware System, or a combination of the three systems. The source of drinking water in your neighborhood can change on a day-by-day or hour-by-hour basis depending on patterns of demand, pressure, and other factors. DEP scientists perform thousands of tests on your drinking water each week, and we know that water coming from all our reservoirs is extremely high-quality. Still, the underlying chemistry of each water source is different because of the underlying geology that surrounds our reservoirs in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. Differences in bedrock and soil can affect pH, alkalinity, calcium content and other chemical characteristics of our drinking water.

Water consumers will generally not notice these small differences. However, those who use New York City water to operate industrial equipment and mechanical systems might notice that changes in water chemistry require adjustments to their treatment systems, maintenance regiments and other upkeep routines.

To help with this, DEP regularly updates a map on its website to show the distribution of different water sources throughout the five boroughs. From the end of May until October, DEP expects the reservoir and distribution systems to be in their normal operation condition. That includes water from our Croton System being delivered by gravity, through the New Croton Aqueduct, to low-elevation areas of the Bronx and Manhattan. The remaining parts of the city will receive water from the Catskill and Delaware systems. That configuration will likely change in October when we shut down the Catskill Aqueduct for the final year of rehabilitation projects that will keep the century-old aqueduct in good working order for the next 100 years. For more updates on water distribution maps, visit this LINK.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

On May 5th, the City Council heard a bill meant to reduce truck traffic associated with deliveries to large buildings. The proposed law would require buildings 500,000 square feet and larger to submit for approval plans showing how they, via a number of actions, would reduce delivery traffic. Those plans would include, among other things, what routes delivery trucks use and at what times. The bill would also set up a new office within DOB to take on the issue of delivery traffic. That office would advise buildings on strategies to reduce truck traffic as well as review and approve building plans.

BOMA New York submitted testimony in opposition to the approach this proposed legislation would take to reduce delivery traffic for several reasons. The most obvious of which is that building owners and managers do not have knowledge of or control over how delivery vehicles get to their buildings. But what is perhaps more interesting is that this was one of eight bills the Council heard that day – each of them concerned with truck traffic, delivery policies, and street safety.

In the meantime, the powerful advocacy group Transportation Alternatives recently issued a study, titled NYC 25 x 25, which argues that the City’s long history of devoting almost all street space to driving and parking is a mistake and very poor use of vital public space. They call for devoting 25% of street space to other uses, such as dedicated bus and bicycle lanes, pedestrian plazas, parks, and the like, by the year 2025 (thus the name).

Tellingly, their study is subtitled “A Challenge to New York City’s Next Leaders to Give Streets Back to People.” Given that we are very close to primary day in an election year that will usher in a new Mayor of over half of the City Council, it does not take a lot of imagination to figure out who their audience is. And it seems like the strategy has worked, with many of the Mayoral candidates coming out in support of the concept of the study.

It’s possible that this issue will fade after the election, with other priorities moving to the forefront. However, this potential fade is unlikely to happen. Stakeholders across the City may be about to engage in a very important and potentially impactful discussion regarding how we want our public streets and sidewalks to function, and what is the best use for public streets and sidewalks for everyone. BOMA New York will participate in this debate, and we will be there to represent the needs of our members.

NEW YORK HEALTH AND ESSENTIAL RIGHTS ACT (HERO ACT)

On May 5, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (HERO Act) to protect New Yorkers from airborne illnesses such as COVID-19. The HERO Act will impact building owners and managers in a number of ways.

Section one of the law, which takes effect on June 4, 2021, requires the State Commissioner of Labor, working with the Department of Health, to develop and make public a “model airborne infectious disease exposure prevention standard for all work sites, differentiated by industry, to establish minimum requirements for preventing exposure to airborne infectious diseases in the workplace.” The act includes a range of topics to be covered by the standard, including, among others, health screenings, face coverings, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting of shared equipment and common use surfaces, and social distancing. All private employers would then be required to implement such a standard, or its equivalent.

Section two of the HERO Act requires employers to establish a joint employer-employee workplace health and safety committee authorized to raise health and safety issues and evaluate workplace health and safety policies. The committee would be tasked with, among other things, raising health and safety concerns that an employer would have to respond to, review policies put in place pursuant to the Act, participate in governmental site visits related to the law, and have regularly-scheduled meetings during work hours.

The HERO Act also includes anti-harassment provisions and private right of action provisions that owners/managers should be aware of. In addition, there are some differences in implementation details between work forces with and without collective bargaining agreements. The Act also requires that the health plan is properly distributed to employees and new employees, and displayed prominently in the workplace.

You can read the entire bill HERE.

ON THE MOVE

Welcome to the newest section of BOMA FACTS, called "Members on the Move".  We are delighted to promote members that have been recently hired, recently promoted, received professional recognition and/or a new professional designation.  If you or a co-worker should be featured, please send the relevant information to Ami Shah at ami@bomany.com.

Christa Hinckley was recently promoted to Director of Full Service Leasing at Columbia Property Trust.

MEMBER PROFILES

With a focus on BOMA New York members, we continue to issue Member Profiles – an ideal medium that highlights up to ten Allied and Professional member companies at a time, via a brief company description, together with relevant contact information.  Please see the most recent issues.

June 9, 2021

If your company is interested in being featured, send the company profile with contact information, along with your company logo to Ami Shah at ami@bomany.com. The profile must be 15 sentences or less.

Archetype Consultants, Inc.
BOMA INTERNATIONAL

It has been exciting to see the progress made toward reopening businesses across the United States over the past month. The latest guidance issued from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorizing more flexible mask-wearing and social distancing requirements for vaccinated individuals, along with the actions taken by state and local governments to ease business occupancy restrictions, indicate that a shift towards recovery is underway.

BOMA International remains focused on assisting members in keeping employees, tenants and their customers and visitors healthy and safe as the country gets back to more normal operations. Our guidance document, Getting Back to Work 3.0: Best Practices for Managing Commercial Buildings During COVID-19 Recovery, is a great place to start if you have questions about reopening.

In Case You Missed It

GOLF CLASSIC:
Edgewood Country Club
On May 17th, BOMA New York hosted its annual Golf Classic at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, NJ.  Sunny blue skies and a high of 75 framed the picture-perfect day for the sold-out event that attracted 144 CRE professionals to play golf, dine, and network.
To see a list of winners from the day and read more about the Golf Classic, click HERE.
To view a small photo montage, click HERE.

MAY LUNCH & LEARN:
Understanding IAQ: What You Need to Know & Why You Should Care
The May Lunch & Learn webinar series delivered a look at one of the most influential issues that will shape the post-COVID workplace – indoor air quality – aka IAQ.  Guest experts were Michael Aisner, SVP of Property Management for RXR Realty; and Edward Einhaus, Head of Northeast Operations at iES MACH.  Stay tuned for a detailed summary of the most recent Lunch & Learn.

SPRING NETWORKING EVENT:
230 Fifth Rooftop Bar
BOMA New York continues to lead the CRE industry with quality programming for a post-pandemic recovery.  On May 4th and per CDC Guidelines at the time, we hosted a Spring Networking Event, that was limited to 100 guests.  The evening was a classic crystal-clear spring setting, complimented by good food, fun drinks and great company.
To view a small photo montage, click HERE.

APRIL LUNCH & LEARN:
Everything (We Think) You Need to Know About Your Vertical Transportation System DOB Code Requirements
The April Lunch & Learn webinar offered a forecast of the tasks that building owners and managers will be expected to perform in order to comply with the City of New York’s increasingly stringent Elevator Inspection Laws – potentially effective on January 1, 2022.  Nicholas Montesano, CEO & president of DTM Vertical Systems Consultants, and Joseph Neto, Area Vice President of Lerch Bates, delivered a presentation all about the responsibility for ensuring elevator life safety.  To read more about the owner/manager responsibility for vertical transportation, click HERE.

MEMBERSHIP CORNER

INTRODUCING THE NEW HOME DEPOT PRO INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM:
The Home Depot Pro Institutional, the wholesale distribution division of The Home Depot®, is the leading national provider of integrated facility maintenance solutions. Providing BOMA members with BOMA tiered discount pricing with next-day delivery of thousands of cleaning, maintenance, and repair items. House accounts with lines of credit and optional custom invoicing.
·         Click HERE to Get Started.
·         Learn more about a Special Milwaukee Tools E-Rebates Program HERE.

GET AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITION:
Showcase your brand to BOMA New York members and the commercial real estate industry leaders with our member engagement opportunities and grow your business in 2021! CLICK HERE

JOIN A BOMA NEW YORK COMMITTEE:
One of the most valuable and exciting aspects of your BOMA New York membership is the opportunity to affect change via one of our numerous committees. Collaborate with top industry executives and lead by example.  Jump start your career and JOIN A COMMITTEE TODAY.

EMERGING LEADER MEMBERSHIP FOR FREE:
BOMA New York is investing in our future by offering one young professional from existing BOMA NY owner/manager member firm to join as an Emerging Leader for one year, free of charge.

Emerging Leader Members have the opportunity to enhance their career and add value to their company via their active participation with BOMA New York.  They will have access to curated events for Emerging Leaders, as well as the ability to register for building tours, webinars, educational programs and networking events throughout the year.

Emerging Leaders membership is open to individuals who are 35 and under and/or have 5 years or less experience in the industry.  Please contact Ami Shah at ami@bomany.com for further information.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM:
The BOMA New York mentorship program is aimed at connecting its Emerging Leader members who may be newer to the commercial property management industry with seasoned, well-experienced professionals. The hope is that these mentor/mentee relationships will give support to younger professionals, increase job retention in the industry, provide a sounding board and opportunity for advice, and promote individual learning and growth.

BOMA New York will match a mentor and suitable mentee based on objectives, skill sets and interests outlined in each application. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to develop real, lasting professional relationships. You can find more information about the MENTORSHIP PROGRAM HERE.

2021 PINNACLE AWARDS:
The 50th Pinnacle Awards has been rescheduled for September 30th.  Email Ami Shah at ami@bomany.com for advertising & sponsorship opportunities.

UPCOMING EVENTS

BOMA COLLABORATION
A MULTI-MARKET DISCUSSION ON TENANT RE-ENTRY
June 15th at 3:00 PM
BOMA New York joins BOMA Greater Los Angeles, BOMA Chicago, BOMA Georgia and Houston BOMA where experienced property managers from five US markets will discuss best practices for to prepare for a safe and successful building for re-entry.
REGISTER

JUNE LUNCH & LEARN
IDENTIFYING FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT IN YOUR BUILDING
June 24th at 12:00 PM
W & M Fire Protection will review how to identify the most common types of fire protection equipment in your building. They will touch on the importance of keeping systems operational, and some best practices on how to do so. They will additionally cover some NFPA 25 concepts, reporting, and FDNY violation compliance.
REGISTER

ENERGY ACTION DAY
June 29, 2021
Keynote Speaker – Gina Bocra, Chief Sustainability Officer at NYC DOB
Industry leading panel to discuss LL97 and healthy building strategies in the current real estate environment.
REGISTER

SUMMER GOLF INVITATIONAL
August 23, 2021
Fenway Golf Club
Sponsorships Available
SAVE THE DATE

ANNUAL PINNACLE AWARDS

September 30, 2021
Pier Sixty
Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities Available
SAVE THE DATE

WELCOME

Please join us in welcoming our new BOMA New York members.

If you are a BOMA New York Member and have moved to a new location or changed employers, please contact Ami Shah ami@bomany.com to update your Membership Record.

If you have a candidate for membership, please contact Ami Shah, our Director of Membership and Special Events at ami@bomany.com. And visit us at bomany.org for information on the difference a BOMA New York membership makes.

Technology Corner

BOMA NY MOBILE APP
Download the BOMA New York mobile app today and access our upcoming events, news, and education on the go. We want to hear your feedback, so don’t forget to rate us in the app store.

Download in Apple App Store

Download in Google Play Store