Deutsche Asset & Wealth Mgmt. Acquires 222 Broadway in Lower Manhattan
Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management has acquired a 95% stake in 222 Broadway in New York City for one of its investment funds, in conjunction with L&L Holding Company, a Manhattan-based owner/operator of Class A properties. L&L Holdings, along with Boston-based Beacon Capital Partners, acquired the building in 2012 from Bank of America Corp. for […]
42% Vacant One World Trade Center Set to Open Q1 2015
The Durst Organization has signed Australia-based Servcorp, a provider of equipped executive offices and virtual office space, to a 15-year, 34,775-square-foot, full “tower floor” lease on the 85th floor of One World Trade Center. With the closing of this transaction, the 3.0-million-square-foot office tower is now 57.5-percent leased. Tower floors occupy the 64th through 90th […]
Savanna Acquires Controlling Interest in One Court Square
Controlling interest in One Court Square, a 1.5 million square-foot Class A office and retail building in Long Island City, has been acquired by Savanna, a New York-based real estate private equity firm, along with an undisclosed partner. David Werner and his investor group, which sold the controlling interest, will also remain a partner in […]
Chicago High-Rise Owner Turns Under-Used Top Floor into ‘Wow’ Suite
A classic Mies van der Rohe-style building, 401 North Michigan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Formerly known as the Equitable Building, the 35-story tower sits on the second largest plaza in Chicago. “Pioneer Court is second in size only to the Daley Plaza,” says Eric Taylor, assistant vice president at Zeller Realty Group. “The building purposely has a large plaza area so it could be set back from the road.” [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Historic Chicago High-Rise Uses New Software to Assist First Responders
209 East Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is adopting new software technology to help protect guests, staff and property. The software will make available to the Chicago fire and police departments critical knowledge of the luxury apartments and grounds - an important tool for a city with more than 700 non-sprinklered heritage high-rises. Designed by […]
Kimpton to Convert Historic Chicago High-Rise into Boutique Hotel
Kimpton Hotel Group has acquired one of Chicago’s most threatened historic structures and plans to convert it into a four-star, 281-room hotel in the Central Loop district. Kimpton has purchased the 14-story New York Life Insurance Building at 39 South LaSalle Street in the Loop neighborhood in from Hamilton Partners. Including the cost of acquiring […]
Q&A: Mike Meyer, Northern California Cushman & Wakefield
Like the vast majority of industry professionals, Michael Meyer, director, Northern California, Corporate Occupier & Investor Services at Cushman & Wakefield, didn’t seek the industry out. It found him. Meyer was looking for a job after graduation, and an agency placed him as an administrative assistant in the property management office of a high-rise. “With […]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Lerch Bates Promotes Ron Welts to San Francisco Regional Manager
Industry veteran Ron Welts has been promoted to regional manager of Lerch Bates’ San Francisco office. He previously served as project manager, elevator consulting group, providing vertical transportation consulting services for designs, maintenance, due diligence and modernizations throughout Northern California. Ron quickly established himself in the vertical transportation market of Northern California after joining Lerch […]
San Francisco Developer Resurrects Planned L.A. High-Rise Condos
San Francisco-based Trumark Urban has purchased a fully entitled development site in the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, where it will build a $100-million condominium complex of 24 floors with 151 units. Formerly known as the Glass Tower, the residential high-rise was approved nearly a decade ago for the corner of West 11th […]
Restoration Completed at Seattle’s First Skyscraper
The Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square has completed a 19-month, $750,000 restoration of its historic building. The downtown Seattle hotel, at 612 Second Ave., is an adaptive reuse of the 1904 Historic Alaska Building. While the restored Pioneer Square hotel today houses smartly redesigned rooms, a high-tech lobby and numerous modern amenities, the building’s historic roots […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction is on the Rise
With everything the U.S. economy has endured in the last decade, who would have thought that the development and construction of high-rise towers in major cities would be on the rise? Despite the recession, the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the real estate market collapse, a recent report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2013 – says that high-rise construction is increasing again across the country. [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Groundbreaking for Bellevue, WA High-Rise Office Tower
Trammell Crow Company and joint venture partner Principal Real Estate Investors have broken ground on 929 Office Tower, a 19-story, 462,000 square foot Class A office tower in Bellevue, Washington. The project will be ready for occupancy in December 2015. “We are excited to be partnering with Trammell Crow Company on 929 Office Tower to […]
Cushman & Wakefield Appoints New Head of U.S. Property Management
Michael Prabhu has joined Cushman & Wakefield as the U.S. head of Property Management. As a Leader within the group, and based in downtown Los Angeles, Mr. Prabhu’s focus will be on the strategic growth of the firm’s property management business in the U.S. “Property Management is a critical part of our Investor Services platform. […]
Steve Frame Joins Lerch Bates SoCal Elevator Consulting Group
Steve Frame has been named project manager for Lerch Bates’ elevator consulting group. He recently joined the firm in its Lake Forest office in Orange County, Calif. As a project manager, Frame manages vertical transportation consulting services for design, inspection, maintenance, due diligence and modernization throughout Southern California. He most recently served in project management […]
Los Angeles High-Rise Installs HVAC Opimization Software
Constellation Place in Century City, CA is known for its progressive environmental efforts. From solar panels and fuel cells to high-efficiency plumbing and lighting, this 35-story JMB Realty Corp. architectural landmark is setting the bar in efficiency. It is the recipient of the BOMA 360 Performance Program Designation and is officially certified by the city […]
GSA Seeks Ideas for Redevelopment of Volpe Center in Cambridge, Mass.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking creative ideas from the real estate development community to redevelop the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) property in Cambridge, Mass. across the street from the Kendall Square Marriott hotel, near the MIT/Kendall Square stop on the MBTA […]
Four New Hires in JLL’s Boston Project Management Group
Ted Finnerty joins the Boston team from JLL’s New York office, where he was a Vice President and Associate Director. Prior to coming to Boston, Finnerty led the 12-person capital improvement team for the Empire State Building. The team implemented owner work, over $80 million of construction annually, and oversaw another $60 million annually of […]
Boston’s 34-Story One Beacon Street Tower Sold for $561 Million
MetLife, Inc. and Norges Bank Investment Management have bought the One Beacon Street office building in Boston for approximately $561 million. Built in 1972 and refurbished in 1991, One Beacon Street Tower is Boston’s 14th-tallest building, standing 505 feet tall. MetLife and Norges Bank Investment Management bought the 34-story office tower from a joint venture […]
New Owner Retains CBRE to Manage Houston High-Rise
MetLife Real Estate Investors has retained CBRE as the leasing and management agent for its recently acquired 3040 Post Oak Boulevard in the Galleria area of Houston. The 22-story, 426,009-square-foot office building was originally part of the Lakes on Post Oak complex in The Galleria. A Five Mile Capital and Crocker Partners partnership sold the […]
Law Firm Leases 45th Floor of Houston’s San Felipe Plaza
Houston-based personal injury law firm AkinMears has leased the entire 45th floor of San Felipe Plaza, a 46-story high-rise at 5847 San Felipe in Houston. The nearly 20,000-square-foot transaction brings the building to 90.4 percent leased, the first time the property has been above 90 percent leased since 2009, according to broker Cassidy Turley. San […]
Tony Morille, A Return to Facility Operations
Spending nearly six decades working in facility operations, Tony Morille, former director of operations for Houston’s 27-story Villa d’Este, retired in June. But he has already decided that he can’t stay away from the industry any longer.
“I had decided it was going to be fun being retired, but I’m bored,” says Morille. “I miss the sense of accomplishment. There are so many challenges in what we do – I even miss times when a [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Hines Acquires Pier 1 Imports Building in Fort Worth
Hines has acquired the landmark Chesapeake Plaza, a 409,977-square-foot, 20-story, Class A office building located on more than 14 acres of land along the Trinity River in Fort Worth’s central business district. It was completed in 2004 and originally developed as the headquarters location for Pier 1 Imports. Pier 1 Imports sold the building to […]
Half Empty Dallas High-Rise, 1700 Pacific, Finally Finds a Buyer
1700 Pacific, a Class A office tower in the Dallas Central Business District has been sold to Quebec, Canada-based Olymbec Group for an undisclosed price. The building has been on the market since last year. The 49-story office tower has 1.3 million square feet, three levels of on-site parking and an off-site parking garage connected […]
Law Firm Leases Top Floors of New Uptown Dallas High-Rise
Chicago-based law firm Sidley Austin LLP has preleased 75,000 square feet at the new McKinney & Olive office building in Uptown Dallas. Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC broke ground June 19, and construction is now underway at the development located at 2021 McKinney Avenue. The Class A+ office space will include 480,000 square feet, with […]
Developer Proposes Space Efficient Downtown Pittsburgh Office High-Rise
Pittsburgh-based Oxford Development has proposed a new Class-A 20-story office tower in Downtown Pittsburgh. Previously, the developer had been pitching a 33-story high-rise to replace an existing building at 441 Smithfield Street. The new tower is being called 350 Fifth and was designed to accommodate two anchor tenants and, if built, would be Pittsburgh’s 40th […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction is on the Rise
With everything the U.S. economy has endured in the last decade, who would have thought that the development and construction of high-rise towers in major cities would be on the rise? Despite the recession, the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the real estate market collapse, a recent report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2013 – says that high-rise construction is increasing again across the country. [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Philly HVAC Firm Adds Verifiable ROI to Maintenance Contracts
Philadelphia-area HVAC construction, service, and energy services firm Burns Mechanical has launched of a new suite of consulting services for its commercial clients called Building Performance Services. The energy benchmarking, operations cost saving, energy monitoring services and full energy auditing capability will provide a measurable, provable return on investment (ROI) in conjunction with maintenance contracts. […]
Developer Obtains Loan to Build 51-Story Miami Residential High-Rise
A joint-venture between Eastview Development and GTIS Partners has closed on a $120 million loan from Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies to fund construction of Biscayne Beach, a 51-story, 399 unit luxury condominium under development at 711 NE 29th Street in Miami’s East Edgewater neighborhood. Construction of Biscayne Beach began in June 2014 with completion […]
550 Biltmore in Coral Gables Attracts Latin American Headquarters
On the heels of signing UBS to the largest Coral Gables lease of the year, Taylor & Mathis has secured an additional $25 million in leases at the iconic 550 Biltmore. The Taylor & Mathis leasing team of Brian Gale and Ryan Holtzman negotiated the transactions on behalf of owner AEW. In a new to […]
Strong Demand for Space at West Palm Beach High-Rise Complex
Phillips Point, built in 1986 is one of West Palm Beach’s most high profile office properties and it continues to enjoy a historically high occupancy rate with $46.5 million in recent leasing transactions. The complex consists of 423,323 rentable square feet in two towers, a 19-story West Tower and a 13-story East Tower and a […]
KBS REIT III Acquires 171 17th Street in Atlanta for $132.5 Million
Newport Beach, California-based KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III (KBS REIT III) has acquired 171 17th Street, a 21-story, trophy quality office building in Atlanta for $132.5 million plus closing costs. JP Morgan was the seller. It was 89-percent leased at closing. 171 17th Street is a 509,237-square-foot property that was the world’s first LEED […]
Groundbreaking Next Week for Midtown Atlanta Student Housing High-Rise
Dallas, Texas-based Inland American Communities Group, Inc. (IAC) will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for its newest University House property, University House Midtown, on Wednesday, May 14th, at 10:00 a.m. Located at the corner of Spring Street and 8th Street in Atlanta, the high-rise residenctial tower will be adjacent to the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia […]
Atlanta’s 72-Story Westin Peachtree Plaza Completes $70 Million Transformation
The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta’s iconic John Portman-designed hotel, has completed the final phase of its grand $70 million renovation. In partnership with Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Cary, Atlanta interior designer Carolyn Auger of Blackdog Studio and contractor Balfour Beatty, every interior element of the hotel from the redesigned lobby, all 1,073 guest rooms and […]
Largest Office Complex in Hawaii Plans to Modernize Elevator Systems
Pacific Guardian Center (PCG), the largest office complex in Hawaii, is planning to modernize its diverse elevator systems. Lerch Bates has been awarded a two-year contract to consult on the project which includes a 10-story 786-stall parking structure, twin 30-story office towers and the celebrated four-story Dillingham Transportation Building. PGC is an award winning office […]
Prepare Your Building’s Elevators for Harsh Weather Conditions
During a season in which weather can be potentially hazardous, it’s important that building and facility managers take the proper precautions to help prevent elevator damage and protect the safety of building occupants. A diagram showing the location of your elevators, car numbers and the elevator car phone number should be in your designated security […]
Schindler Elevator Brings State-Of-The-Art Mobility to 4 World Trade Center
Schindler Elevator Corporation has provided state-of-the-art elevator technology at 4 World Trade Center including 37 custom high-performance Schindler 7000 elevators (34 passenger cars with Schindler’s industry-leading PORT Technology destination-dispatch system, and three high-rise service cars). Schindler also provided two custom hydraulic elevators, two geared service elevators, and six Schindler 9300 escalators to transport passengers to […]
Optical Turnstile Reads QR Code from Visitor Smartphone to Allow Entry
Smarter Security, a provider of entrance control and outdoor security solutions, has announced the availability of FastScan TVS PS, which is the latest model of the tenant/visitor system the company first released in 2008. The PS model allows the use of two modern technologies, QR codes and smartphones, to assist visitors in quickly and securely […]
222 Broadway Installing a Remotely-Managed Security System
Datawatch Systems will soon be installing a remotely-managed access control system for 222 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The 32-story, 756,138-square-foot office building is owned by L&L Holdings. Components of the security installation include new turnstiles and an upgraded access control and CCTV system. The security upgrade is part of a major renovation to the building’s […]
Cushman & Wakefield Names Three Key Members of Risk Management Services
Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately-held commercial real estate services firm, today announced three new appointments to the Risk Management Services (RMS) division, headed by former New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. New York Police Department (NYPD) veterans Phil T. Pulaski and Michael J. Farrell join as Managing Directors and David C. […]
Los Angeles High-Rise Installs HVAC Opimization Software
Constellation Place in Century City, CA is known for its progressive environmental efforts. From solar panels and fuel cells to high-efficiency plumbing and lighting, this 35-story JMB Realty Corp. architectural landmark is setting the bar in efficiency. It is the recipient of the BOMA 360 Performance Program Designation and is officially certified by the city […]
Philly HVAC Firm Adds Verifiable ROI to Maintenance Contracts
Philadelphia-area HVAC construction, service, and energy services firm Burns Mechanical has launched of a new suite of consulting services for its commercial clients called Building Performance Services. The energy benchmarking, operations cost saving, energy monitoring services and full energy auditing capability will provide a measurable, provable return on investment (ROI) in conjunction with maintenance contracts. […]
Veolia’s New Boston Office Renovation Achieves LEED Gold Certification
Veolia’s new North American headquarters, at Exchange Place in Boston’s Financial District, has received LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors certification by the USGBC this month. Veolia Energy North America, operator of one the country’s largest portfolio of district energy networks and cogeneration facilities, moved into the 27,440-square-foot space, which comprises the entire 14th floor of […]
Los Angeles High-Rise Installs HVAC Opimization Software
Constellation Place in Century City, CA is known for its progressive environmental efforts. From solar panels and fuel cells to high-efficiency plumbing and lighting, this 35-story JMB Realty Corp. architectural landmark is setting the bar in efficiency. It is the recipient of the BOMA 360 Performance Program Designation and is officially certified by the city […]
Empire State Building Cuts $7.5M in Energy Costs Over Past Three Years
The Empire State Building has surpassed the energy savings guaranteed through its innovative energy-efficiency program for the third consecutive year. This year, the iconic property beat its energy-efficiency guarantee by 15.9 percent, saving $2.8 million. Over the past three years, the program has generated a total of approximately $7.5 million in energy savings at the […]
Philly HVAC Firm Adds Verifiable ROI to Maintenance Contracts
Philadelphia-area HVAC construction, service, and energy services firm Burns Mechanical has launched of a new suite of consulting services for its commercial clients called Building Performance Services. The energy benchmarking, operations cost saving, energy monitoring services and full energy auditing capability will provide a measurable, provable return on investment (ROI) in conjunction with maintenance contracts. […]
Pandora Media Completes New Headquarters at 125 Park Avenue
Pandora Media has completed the build-out of their East Coast headquarters at SL Green’s 125 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. B.R. Fries provided construction management services, craft-oriented creative solutions, and overall project direction. The space includes 55,000-square-feet across two-floors. “We’re pleased to undertake projects like Pandora Media’s new offices, where cutting-edge workplace concepts merge with […]
SL Green Upgrading Lighting at Nine Manhattan Properties
SL Green Realty Corp. is expanding its LED lighting retrofit program, installing more than 8,000 LED lamps across nine Manhattan commercial office properties. The project is projected to save $370,000 annually in operating expenses, according to the Jay Black, SL Green director of sustainability. The buildings receiving lighting upgrades are: 1350 Avenue of the Americas, […]
Emergency Lighting Keeps Employees Safe and Your Facility Compliant
Emergency lights and exit signs are one of the most integral, yet overlooked, elements of a building’s life safety program. When the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) fines your business for non-compliant emergency lighting, it can cost up to $7,000 for a first-time violation and as much as $70,000 for a repeat violation. “Much […]
Facade Cooling Drip System, BioSkin, Wins CTBUH Innovation Award
BioSkin, a system of water-filled ceramic pipes that cools the exterior surface of buildings and their surrounding micro-climates, has won the 2014 Tall Building Innovation Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The initial use of BioSkin was at the NBF Osaki Building in Tokyo, Japan. Based on the traditional Japanese […]
Lerch Bates Promotes Ron Welts to San Francisco Regional Manager
Industry veteran Ron Welts has been promoted to regional manager of Lerch Bates’ San Francisco office. He previously served as project manager, elevator consulting group, providing vertical transportation consulting services for designs, maintenance, due diligence and modernizations throughout Northern California. Ron quickly established himself in the vertical transportation market of Northern California after joining Lerch […]
Lerch Bates Appoints Jim Turner Project Manager, Great Lakes Region
Lerch Bates announced that vertical transportation industry leader Jim Turner has been named project manager, elevator consulting group, in its Great Lakes area office. Turner joins the world’s oldest and largest consulting firm for vertical transportation, façade access and building logistics armed with more than 22 years of comprehensive experience in the elevator and escalator […]
Massachusetts Hotels Must Comply with Food Waste Disposal Ban by October
Massachusetts’ statewide commercial food waste disposal ban will take effect on Oct. 1, 2014. The ban was designed to divert food waste to energy-generating and composting facilities and reduce the state’s waste stream. Large hotels are among the estimated 1,700 facilities that will be impacted. “We are committed to protecting our natural resources and creating […]
Guidelines for Infection Control Cleaning
The winter months are when schools, healthcare facilities, offices, and many other types of locations become very concerned about infection control. Fortunately, cleaning professionals can play one of the most important roles in helping to reduce illness and infections. “There are many steps cleaning professionals can take to help improve cleaning results and at the […]
San Francisco Goodwill Placing Collection Bins in Multi-Family High-Rises
SFGoodwill is launching a new initiative that will make donating textiles as convenient as dropping a bottle in a recycling bin. Designed to serve multi-unit apartment towers, the Goodwill goBINTM lets residents donate – and do good – without leaving their buildings. Clothing, shoes, and accessories can be dropped in anytime, eliminating the weekend trip […]
Historic Chicago High-Rise Uses New Software to Assist First Responders
209 East Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is adopting new software technology to help protect guests, staff and property. The software will make available to the Chicago fire and police departments critical knowledge of the luxury apartments and grounds - an important tool for a city with more than 700 non-sprinklered heritage high-rises. Designed by […]
Six Tips to Keep Building Occupants Safe from Summer Fire Hazards
According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), summer fires rank second in incidence rates compared to other seasons, averaging almost 5,000 fires per day. “During the summer, we are most concerned with fire hazards associated with fireworks,” said Jamie Samide, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas, a provider of fire protection services. “However, grills, camp […]
New Device Aims to Help Survivors Escape Burning Skyscraper
Residents and workers in skyscrapers and other tall buildings are often trapped in case of a fire, 9/11 has demonstrated. Dutch inventors Eugene Verstegen and Joris Veeger have developed a product they call the “Evacuator,” that may allow evacuees to slowly and safely descend on a steel cable on the outside of the building. The […]
Historic Chicago High-Rise Uses New Software to Assist First Responders
209 East Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is adopting new software technology to help protect guests, staff and property. The software will make available to the Chicago fire and police departments critical knowledge of the luxury apartments and grounds - an important tool for a city with more than 700 non-sprinklered heritage high-rises. Designed by […]
ThyssenKrupp Elevator Developing “Game-Changing” Maintenance Solutions
ThyssenKrupp Elevator maintains more than 1.1 million elevators worldwide, including those at some of the world’s most iconic buildings, like the new One World Trade Center in New York. At the 102-story skyscraper, ThyssenKrupp’s elevators will carry an estimated 3.5 million people every year. Traveling at 23 miles an hour, the building’s elevators are the […]
Vacant for 18 Years, Downtown Cleveland High-Rise Set to Reopen
After sitting vacant for nearly two decades, the former AmeriTrust Tower in downtown Cleveland is almost ready to reopen as part of a mixed-use complex at the intersection of E. 9th and Euclid . Cleveland-based GEIS Companies teamed up with Sandvick Architects of Cleveland to bring new life to this long overlooked area of the […]
Denver-Based Amstar Buys Unfinished Polish Skyscraper
Denver-based Amstar has acquired Zlota 44, a luxury residential tower currently under construction in the city center of Warsaw, Poland in an off-market transaction for US$83 million, despite building costs of over US$200 million. The seller, Luxembourg-based Orco Property Group, has had financial problems for many years and was unable to complete the project. Amstar […]
Brookfield Named General Contractor for 50-Story London High-Rise
Work at the site of a new London high-rise, One Blackfriars, is progressing with Brookfield Multiplex officially being appointed by St George PLC to design and build the superstructure, which is located on the south bank in the London Borough of Southwark. Another company, Designer Group, has been awarded the mechanical, electrical and plumbing services […]
Germany’s Post Tower Wins CTBUH 10-Year Award for Performance
Post Tower, a 163-meter office tower in Bonn, Germany, has received the 10 Year Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The 10 Year Award recognizes proven value and performance in a tall building, across one or more of a wide range of criteria, 10 years after a building has completed. […]
Groundbreaking for Another High-Rise in Houston’s Energy Center Complex
Trammell Crow Company has started construction on Energy Center Five, a speculative Class A, 18 story office tower located on North Eldridge Parkway, just south of Interstate 10, and adjacent to Energy Center Three and Four. Completion is scheduled for 2Q 2016. “Energy Center Five is the fifth and final phase of office development we […]
Groundbreaking for AFL-CIO Funded 48-Story Chicago Residential High-Rise
A groundbreaking ceremony took place this morning at Wolf Point West Tower featuring more than one hundred and fifty workers and local labor leaders. Wolf Point West Tower is a $160 million, 48-story multifamily project being built in Chicago. The AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust (BIT) indirectly provided a $34 million equity investment in the project, […]
Stiles and Rockefeller Group Break Ground on Fort Lauderdale High-Rise
Stiles Residential Group and The Rockefeller Group have broken ground on a downtown Fort Lauderdale luxury residential high-rise. The 8th Avenue Residences, located at 215 SE 8th Avenue, include 254-unit luxury residential units across 30-stories. “There is a growing demand for luxury multifamily living in urban areas throughout South Florida,” said Jay Jacobson, President of […]
Ultra-Wide Display for Elevator Multimedia Information and Entertainment
E-Motive’s new Panorama range of multimedia elevator displays is now available from Janus Elevator Products. The ultra-wide LCDs provide customized in-car entertainment and information with a design specifically optimized for elevator use. The Panorama’s ultra-wide aspect ratio makes the best use of available elevator space. It can be oriented landscape in the elevator transom or […]
The Next Generation in Lamp Recycling is the Bulb Eater 3
In less than one second, Air Cycle Corporation’s The Bulb Eater 3 with Intelli Technology crushes spent fluorescent lamps of any length, u-tubes, and CFL’s into 100% recyclable material, while capturing over 99.99% of the vapors released. The system, which is mounted to a 55-gallon drum, can hold up to 1,350 4’ fluorescent lamps. A five-stage filtering process removes [...]
Software Predicts Free Cooling Availability for Complex Cooling Systems
Optimum Energy, the leading provider of data-driven HVAC energy optimization for enterprise facilities, today debuted Predictive Free Cooling, which is an extension of the OptiCx Platform. Predictive Free Cooling eliminates the guesswork for building operators who want to use free cooling—also known as water-side economizing—in order to reduce overall energy consumption in chiller plant systems. […]
Multiple-Car Elevator Systems on the Rise
The idea of having an elevator with two independent cabs operating in the same shaft dates back to the 1920s, when Sprague’s Dual Elevator System operated in a 20-story Pittsburgh building. It was taken out of service in 1931 and it wasn’t until 2002, when ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG announced its multiple-car elevator system, that we’d […]
Wireless Emergency Communications Move to Elevators
Building owners often pay hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars each month for the multiple phone lines that ensure communications in their multiple elevators. During an emergency, passengers rely on these elevator phones in case of entrapment or an emergency. They’re a necessary expense, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to […]
Tom Worthington owns ESRM Communications, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL (www.ESRMphones.com).
High-Tech: One WTC’s Elevator System is Most Advanced in Western Hemisphere
During lunchtime on the construction site of One World Trade Center (OWTC) in Lower Manhattan, crew members and the design team usually spend their break on the 103rd floor. They roll up the construction plans, close their laptops, and eat the sandwiches they’ve brought with them. On a clear day, the view is spectacular: the […]
Jens Holtgrefe is in internal communications with ThyssenKrupp Germany. Steve Geyer is vice president of modernization sales for ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas.
High-Rise Security Requires Proactive Preparation, Execution
You would never allow a potentially dangerous stranger to enter your home and wander around it without supervision, so why do we often permit such security lapses in the workplace? After all, not only do we spend more time at the job than at home, but the threats in the workplace are, in many ways, […]
As the Director of Program Development for ABM Security Services, Paul Penzone is responsible for developing programs that will enhance the skillset and services provided by ABM Security Services on behalf of its clients. Paul’s unique skillset is the culmination if his experience in law enforcement, multi-jurisdictional investigations, program development and operations. Paul spent 21 years with the Phoenix Police Department, retiring as a sergeant in 2009. During his career, he worked in training, gang enforcement, street crimes, narcotics, and as a Federal Task Force Agent with the DEA.
Stand-Outs: High-Rise Managers Share Their Team’s Best Practices
Owning or managing a tall building is a lot like operating a small city. Being responsible for the services and infrastructure that keep occupants and tenants in business is a big job. So why not take some suggestions and help from your colleagues when you can get it?
We found some examples of best practices that are being incorporated in high-rise facilities, and arranged them into categories.
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
High-def flat screens embedded into bathroom mirrors. Electronic doorbell systems that feature guest presence detection and tray removal tracking. Energy management systems that set lighting and temperature levels based on whether guests are in the room, out of the room, or checked out. All of these technologies are being incorporated into upscale…
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency
When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]
Keirnyn Ross, CEM, is manager of energy engineering at Greenwich Energy Solutions.
Southern California High-Rise Hotel Installs Innovative Piping System
Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, CA, takes its commitment to building a better playground seriously. The entertainment company’s most recent project encompasses a new 21-story Resort Tower that will accompany the existing casino and hotel. The resort recently changed its name. It was formerly known as Harrah’s Rincon, after the American Indian reservation […]
Inside HRF: What’s New in Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems (VRF)?
Using refrigerant as the cooling and heating medium, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning systems cool or heat each room or zone individually only to the level needed. VRF systems work in both new construction and retrofit projects, and are most often seen in healthcare, education, hospitality, multifamily, and mixed-use facilities. The technology has been available […]
Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency
When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]
Keirnyn Ross, CEM, is manager of energy engineering at Greenwich Energy Solutions.
High Performance: What Does it Mean for Tall Buildings?
What does “high performance” mean for high-rise towers? Does it involve 100% uptime, net zero energy, or green building projects? Is it a tower with low environmental impact and a healthy indoor atmosphere?
“We’re constantly asking our clients what ‘high performance’ means to them, because some people see it as only tangible things with…
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Power Down to Reduce “Phantom Energy” Use
Don’t forget to pull the plug and turn out the lights! While the concept is known by different names – phantom load, vampire power, standby mode – at the end of the day, “phantom energy” does the same thing: it pulls unnecessary extra energy from the grid into commercial buildings when you aren’t looking. Many […]
Ben Wilde is Director, Europe for FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS). He has 10 years’ experience in data management and business process outsourcing, working with numerous UK public and private-sector organizations to develop data capture and management systems. Wilde works with clients worldwide to develop outsourcing and technology services that make their energy and sustainability strategies more efficient. He is a qualified Carbon Verifier for Projects & Inventories against ISO 14065. With a BSc. in Business & Economics from the University of East Anglia, Ben also has experience leading the commercialization of more than a dozen clean tech and biotech projects via a $3 million innovation fund he cofounded for early-stage ventures. For more information, visit www.firstcarbonsolutions.com.
Chicago High-Rise Owner Turns Under-Used Top Floor into ‘Wow’ Suite
A classic Mies van der Rohe-style building, 401 North Michigan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Formerly known as the Equitable Building, the 35-story tower sits on the second largest plaza in Chicago. “Pioneer Court is second in size only to the Daley Plaza,” says Eric Taylor, assistant vice president at Zeller Realty Group. “The building purposely has a large plaza area so it could be set back from the road.” [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels
High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Brooklyn High-Rise May Save $700k with Parking Garage Lighting Upgrade
It took 15 years for developer Joshua Muss to turn a small city-owned park on top of an underground parking garage into the high-rise complex that is aptly named Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza. Muss’s vision was widely hailed as key to revitalizing the heart of Downtown Brooklyn but it was a long struggle to bring the […]
Combat Thermal Stack Effect for Comfort and HVAC Efficiency
Stack effect occurs in all high-rises (and all buildings) in which temperature differences exist: warm air rises when it’s surrounded by cold air because of its lower density, and this phenomenon is what results in the thermal stack effect. Rising warm air reduces pressure in the base of the building, drawing cold air in through open […]
Buildings Need to Breathe for Maximum Efficiency
When benchmarking more than 400 buildings for New York City’s Local Law 84 this year, we found that median energy consumption for buildings taller than 20 stories was 87 kBtu per square foot. The minimum and maximum ranges were between 50 and 258 kBtu per square foot. What causes such a big difference in energy […]
Keirnyn Ross, CEM, is manager of energy engineering at Greenwich Energy Solutions.
Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels
High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
High-Rise On-Site Composting Gets a Reality Check
New York City’s five boroughs produce an estimated 36,200 tons of garbage daily, totaling 13.2 million tons annually. Many commercial buildings have adopted recycling programs that focus on plastics, aluminum, and paper, but programs for compostable waste aren’t often utilized. Some waste management companies will separate wet trash pick-ups and divert compostable material to an […]
James Ashworth is the marketing communications manager at Triangle Services. To learn more, visit www.TriangleServices.com.
UFAD Robot Cleans Beneath Raised Floor Systems
Martins Maintenance is one of the largest family-run commercial cleaning companies in the northeast with over 200 clients in 10 states. Among those clients is a Fortune 500 company occupying a high-rise office building. The firm called on the aid of Manuel Martins Jr. and Jordan Amaral to help solve an interesting problem at their […]
Stand-Outs: High-Rise Managers Share Their Team’s Best Practices
Owning or managing a tall building is a lot like operating a small city. Being responsible for the services and infrastructure that keep occupants and tenants in business is a big job. So why not take some suggestions and help from your colleagues when you can get it?
We found some examples of best practices that are being incorporated in high-rise facilities, and arranged them into categories.
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Fire Protection Assessments in High-Rise Buildings
High-rise facilities typically employ numerous safeguards above and beyond most non-high-rise buildings. Additional requirements regarding the number of fire sprinkler risers, sprinkler system design, and required number of exits are also imposed on “very tall” or “super high-rise” buildings (high-rises more than 420 feet in height). Fire protection assessments (FPAs) – essentially comprehensive fire and […]
Scott Heyworth, P.E., of FP2Fire, Inc. is a registered Fire Protection Engineer, licensed in California (1999) and Florida (2009). He has more than 18 years’ experience working in code enforcement and code consulting, specializing in plan review, field inspection, acceptance testing, hazardous materials, fire hazard analyses, and fire protection assessments. For more information, visit www.fp2fire.com.
Fear the Fire, Not the Fire Alarm
The first time an end user – a facility manager, security guard or building owner – is faced with operating a fire alarm control panel might easily be in an emergency situation. In the midst of such a crisis, it is not the best time to determine which of 20 or 30 different buttons to push. Overly complex fire alarm interfaces make users vulnerable to “floating finger syndrome” –
Brian Carlson is the Manager of Marketing for Gamewell-FCI, a U.S.-based manufacturer of commercial fire alarm and emergency communication systems. His 10 years of engineering and marketing experience at Honeywell enables Brian to execute the marketing strategy and product development for Gamewell-FCI.
Fire and Life Safety Auditing of Tenant Space Presents Challenges
The auditing of tenant space with regards to fire & life safety can be a challenge. There’s the delicate balance of trying to view all interior rooms and areas of the space being audited, be it small or large, and doing so without disrupting the tenants business in any manner. A look at key items […]
Dennis Hirschberg is CEO of JLD Audits, Orange County, CA and specializes in Fire & Life Safety auditing of high-rise and commercial buildings throughout the United States.
Inside High-Rise Facilities: In-Building Wireless Systems
Concrete, brick, steel, and low-e glass can all block or distort signals – whether wireless, cellular, or RF. In tall towers that accommodate a large number of tenants or occupants, the demand on wireless infrastructure can also slow or impair signal strength. Combine these two factors, and reliable signal strength is an issue that many […]
Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels
High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Making Wireless Work at Floor 50 and Beyond
When potential tenants come knocking, a marquee address, square-footage, floor plans and breathtaking high-rise views aren’t the only things they are looking for. Today business and residential lessors place a high value on cellular voice and broadband mobile data coverage. Landline telephones are rapidly becoming a thing-of-the-past for homes and for an increasing number of […]
Tim W. Ayers is the Vice President Global Services for ExteNet Systems, Inc., a leader in distributed networks for the wireless industry, based in the Chicago, IL area.
Green Building Industry Groups Agree to Collaborate
The International Code Council (ICC), ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announce the signing of a memorandum to collaborate on the development of Standard 189.1, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and the LEED green building program. The unprecedented […]
Does a “Green” Office Make You More Productive?
Does a green workplace make employees more productive, as environmental sustainability experts have long argued? Many studies have linked green offices to improvements in productivity. On the other hand, there are also reports of buildings that have compromised on comfort in order to achieve higher energy efficiency. Commercial real estate services firm JLL created a […]
Hines’ Houston Headquarters Awarded LEED Platinum
The Houston office of Hines recently remodeled their own lease space in the iconic Williams Tower. The space was awarded Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Commercial Interiors Rating System. Hines has occupied levels 49 and 50 (among other floors) in Williams Tower for more than 30 years. These two floors, […]
Restoration Completed at Seattle’s First Skyscraper
The Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square has completed a 19-month, $750,000 restoration of its historic building. The downtown Seattle hotel, at 612 Second Ave., is an adaptive reuse of the 1904 Historic Alaska Building. While the restored Pioneer Square hotel today houses smartly redesigned rooms, a high-tech lobby and numerous modern amenities, the building’s historic roots […]
Skyscraper Museum Exhibit Shows Reimagined Times Square in 1984
Times Square today is bright and crowded – the most visited place on the planet, filled with electric signs, entertainment venues and retail outlets. But thirty years ago, the future of Times Square was in limbo as residents, the City and developers sparred over how best to redevelop the area. In the 1960s, Times Square […]
Having been in the B2B publishing industry for over fifteen years, Travis has written hundreds of articles related to facilities management and building ownership and is the publisher and editorial director for High Rise Facilities magazine. He lives in Southern California with his wife and children and enjoys surfing, sailing, golfing, and of course touring tall buildings.
Transfromation of Historic Downtown Manhattan High-Rise, 70 Pine Street, Nearly Complete
Rose Associates, the owners of 70 Pine Street in Lower Manhattan, are spending $550 million to transform the historic 952-foot-tall high-rise into a mixed-use building with rental apartments, a hotel and retail space. The Art Deco skyscraper was built in 1932 to act as the headquarters of the Cities Services Company (Citgo). When completed it […]
Tony Morille, A Return to Facility Operations
Spending nearly six decades working in facility operations, Tony Morille, former director of operations for Houston’s 27-story Villa d’Este, retired in June. But he has already decided that he can’t stay away from the industry any longer.
“I had decided it was going to be fun being retired, but I’m bored,” says Morille. “I miss the sense of accomplishment. There are so many challenges in what we do – I even miss times when a [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Q&A: Mike Meyer, Northern California Cushman & Wakefield
Like the vast majority of industry professionals, Michael Meyer, director, Northern California, Corporate Occupier & Investor Services at Cushman & Wakefield, didn’t seek the industry out. It found him. Meyer was looking for a job after graduation, and an agency placed him as an administrative assistant in the property management office of a high-rise. “With […]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Q & A: Dennis Sherry, NGKF’s Regional Director of Management Services
Dennis Sherry, regional director of management services at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, explains why the property management lessons he learned two decades ago still affect his decision-making today. Property management isn’t just about a building – it’s about people, too. That’s the lesson Dennis Sherry, regional director of management services at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, learned early on and helped propel […]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Ultra-Wide Display for Elevator Multimedia Information and Entertainment
E-Motive’s new Panorama range of multimedia elevator displays is now available from Janus Elevator Products. The ultra-wide LCDs provide customized in-car entertainment and information with a design specifically optimized for elevator use. The Panorama’s ultra-wide aspect ratio makes the best use of available elevator space. It can be oriented landscape in the elevator transom or […]
The Next Generation in Lamp Recycling is the Bulb Eater 3
In less than one second, Air Cycle Corporation’s The Bulb Eater 3 with Intelli Technology crushes spent fluorescent lamps of any length, u-tubes, and CFL’s into 100% recyclable material, while capturing over 99.99% of the vapors released. The system, which is mounted to a 55-gallon drum, can hold up to 1,350 4’ fluorescent lamps. A five-stage filtering process removes [...]
Software Predicts Free Cooling Availability for Complex Cooling Systems
Optimum Energy, the leading provider of data-driven HVAC energy optimization for enterprise facilities, today debuted Predictive Free Cooling, which is an extension of the OptiCx Platform. Predictive Free Cooling eliminates the guesswork for building operators who want to use free cooling—also known as water-side economizing—in order to reduce overall energy consumption in chiller plant systems. […]
Deutsche Asset & Wealth Mgmt. Acquires 222 Broadway in Lower Manhattan
Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management has acquired a 95% stake in 222 Broadway in New York City for one of its investment funds, in conjunction with L&L Holding Company, a Manhattan-based owner/operator of Class A properties. L&L Holdings, along with Boston-based Beacon Capital Partners, acquired the building in 2012 from Bank of America Corp. for […]
42% Vacant One World Trade Center Set to Open Q1 2015
The Durst Organization has signed Australia-based Servcorp, a provider of equipped executive offices and virtual office space, to a 15-year, 34,775-square-foot, full “tower floor” lease on the 85th floor of One World Trade Center. With the closing of this transaction, the 3.0-million-square-foot office tower is now 57.5-percent leased. Tower floors occupy the 64th through 90th […]
Savanna Acquires Controlling Interest in One Court Square
Controlling interest in One Court Square, a 1.5 million square-foot Class A office and retail building in Long Island City, has been acquired by Savanna, a New York-based real estate private equity firm, along with an undisclosed partner. David Werner and his investor group, which sold the controlling interest, will also remain a partner in […]
Chicago High-Rise Owner Turns Under-Used Top Floor into ‘Wow’ Suite
A classic Mies van der Rohe-style building, 401 North Michigan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Formerly known as the Equitable Building, the 35-story tower sits on the second largest plaza in Chicago. “Pioneer Court is second in size only to the Daley Plaza,” says Eric Taylor, assistant vice president at Zeller Realty Group. “The building purposely has a large plaza area so it could be set back from the road.” [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Historic Chicago High-Rise Uses New Software to Assist First Responders
209 East Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is adopting new software technology to help protect guests, staff and property. The software will make available to the Chicago fire and police departments critical knowledge of the luxury apartments and grounds - an important tool for a city with more than 700 non-sprinklered heritage high-rises. Designed by […]
Kimpton to Convert Historic Chicago High-Rise into Boutique Hotel
Kimpton Hotel Group has acquired one of Chicago’s most threatened historic structures and plans to convert it into a four-star, 281-room hotel in the Central Loop district. Kimpton has purchased the 14-story New York Life Insurance Building at 39 South LaSalle Street in the Loop neighborhood in from Hamilton Partners. Including the cost of acquiring […]
Q&A: Mike Meyer, Northern California Cushman & Wakefield
Like the vast majority of industry professionals, Michael Meyer, director, Northern California, Corporate Occupier & Investor Services at Cushman & Wakefield, didn’t seek the industry out. It found him. Meyer was looking for a job after graduation, and an agency placed him as an administrative assistant in the property management office of a high-rise. “With […]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Lerch Bates Promotes Ron Welts to San Francisco Regional Manager
Industry veteran Ron Welts has been promoted to regional manager of Lerch Bates’ San Francisco office. He previously served as project manager, elevator consulting group, providing vertical transportation consulting services for designs, maintenance, due diligence and modernizations throughout Northern California. Ron quickly established himself in the vertical transportation market of Northern California after joining Lerch […]
San Francisco Developer Resurrects Planned L.A. High-Rise Condos
San Francisco-based Trumark Urban has purchased a fully entitled development site in the South Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, where it will build a $100-million condominium complex of 24 floors with 151 units. Formerly known as the Glass Tower, the residential high-rise was approved nearly a decade ago for the corner of West 11th […]
Restoration Completed at Seattle’s First Skyscraper
The Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square has completed a 19-month, $750,000 restoration of its historic building. The downtown Seattle hotel, at 612 Second Ave., is an adaptive reuse of the 1904 Historic Alaska Building. While the restored Pioneer Square hotel today houses smartly redesigned rooms, a high-tech lobby and numerous modern amenities, the building’s historic roots […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction is on the Rise
With everything the U.S. economy has endured in the last decade, who would have thought that the development and construction of high-rise towers in major cities would be on the rise? Despite the recession, the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the real estate market collapse, a recent report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2013 – says that high-rise construction is increasing again across the country. [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Groundbreaking for Bellevue, WA High-Rise Office Tower
Trammell Crow Company and joint venture partner Principal Real Estate Investors have broken ground on 929 Office Tower, a 19-story, 462,000 square foot Class A office tower in Bellevue, Washington. The project will be ready for occupancy in December 2015. “We are excited to be partnering with Trammell Crow Company on 929 Office Tower to […]
Cushman & Wakefield Appoints New Head of U.S. Property Management
Michael Prabhu has joined Cushman & Wakefield as the U.S. head of Property Management. As a Leader within the group, and based in downtown Los Angeles, Mr. Prabhu’s focus will be on the strategic growth of the firm’s property management business in the U.S. “Property Management is a critical part of our Investor Services platform. […]
Steve Frame Joins Lerch Bates SoCal Elevator Consulting Group
Steve Frame has been named project manager for Lerch Bates’ elevator consulting group. He recently joined the firm in its Lake Forest office in Orange County, Calif. As a project manager, Frame manages vertical transportation consulting services for design, inspection, maintenance, due diligence and modernization throughout Southern California. He most recently served in project management […]
Los Angeles High-Rise Installs HVAC Opimization Software
Constellation Place in Century City, CA is known for its progressive environmental efforts. From solar panels and fuel cells to high-efficiency plumbing and lighting, this 35-story JMB Realty Corp. architectural landmark is setting the bar in efficiency. It is the recipient of the BOMA 360 Performance Program Designation and is officially certified by the city […]
GSA Seeks Ideas for Redevelopment of Volpe Center in Cambridge, Mass.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking creative ideas from the real estate development community to redevelop the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) property in Cambridge, Mass. across the street from the Kendall Square Marriott hotel, near the MIT/Kendall Square stop on the MBTA […]
Four New Hires in JLL’s Boston Project Management Group
Ted Finnerty joins the Boston team from JLL’s New York office, where he was a Vice President and Associate Director. Prior to coming to Boston, Finnerty led the 12-person capital improvement team for the Empire State Building. The team implemented owner work, over $80 million of construction annually, and oversaw another $60 million annually of […]
Boston’s 34-Story One Beacon Street Tower Sold for $561 Million
MetLife, Inc. and Norges Bank Investment Management have bought the One Beacon Street office building in Boston for approximately $561 million. Built in 1972 and refurbished in 1991, One Beacon Street Tower is Boston’s 14th-tallest building, standing 505 feet tall. MetLife and Norges Bank Investment Management bought the 34-story office tower from a joint venture […]
New Owner Retains CBRE to Manage Houston High-Rise
MetLife Real Estate Investors has retained CBRE as the leasing and management agent for its recently acquired 3040 Post Oak Boulevard in the Galleria area of Houston. The 22-story, 426,009-square-foot office building was originally part of the Lakes on Post Oak complex in The Galleria. A Five Mile Capital and Crocker Partners partnership sold the […]
Law Firm Leases 45th Floor of Houston’s San Felipe Plaza
Houston-based personal injury law firm AkinMears has leased the entire 45th floor of San Felipe Plaza, a 46-story high-rise at 5847 San Felipe in Houston. The nearly 20,000-square-foot transaction brings the building to 90.4 percent leased, the first time the property has been above 90 percent leased since 2009, according to broker Cassidy Turley. San […]
Tony Morille, A Return to Facility Operations
Spending nearly six decades working in facility operations, Tony Morille, former director of operations for Houston’s 27-story Villa d’Este, retired in June. But he has already decided that he can’t stay away from the industry any longer.
“I had decided it was going to be fun being retired, but I’m bored,” says Morille. “I miss the sense of accomplishment. There are so many challenges in what we do – I even miss times when a [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Hines Acquires Pier 1 Imports Building in Fort Worth
Hines has acquired the landmark Chesapeake Plaza, a 409,977-square-foot, 20-story, Class A office building located on more than 14 acres of land along the Trinity River in Fort Worth’s central business district. It was completed in 2004 and originally developed as the headquarters location for Pier 1 Imports. Pier 1 Imports sold the building to […]
Half Empty Dallas High-Rise, 1700 Pacific, Finally Finds a Buyer
1700 Pacific, a Class A office tower in the Dallas Central Business District has been sold to Quebec, Canada-based Olymbec Group for an undisclosed price. The building has been on the market since last year. The 49-story office tower has 1.3 million square feet, three levels of on-site parking and an off-site parking garage connected […]
Law Firm Leases Top Floors of New Uptown Dallas High-Rise
Chicago-based law firm Sidley Austin LLP has preleased 75,000 square feet at the new McKinney & Olive office building in Uptown Dallas. Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC broke ground June 19, and construction is now underway at the development located at 2021 McKinney Avenue. The Class A+ office space will include 480,000 square feet, with […]
Developer Proposes Space Efficient Downtown Pittsburgh Office High-Rise
Pittsburgh-based Oxford Development has proposed a new Class-A 20-story office tower in Downtown Pittsburgh. Previously, the developer had been pitching a 33-story high-rise to replace an existing building at 441 Smithfield Street. The new tower is being called 350 Fifth and was designed to accommodate two anchor tenants and, if built, would be Pittsburgh’s 40th […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction is on the Rise
With everything the U.S. economy has endured in the last decade, who would have thought that the development and construction of high-rise towers in major cities would be on the rise? Despite the recession, the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the real estate market collapse, a recent report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2013 – says that high-rise construction is increasing again across the country. [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Philly HVAC Firm Adds Verifiable ROI to Maintenance Contracts
Philadelphia-area HVAC construction, service, and energy services firm Burns Mechanical has launched of a new suite of consulting services for its commercial clients called Building Performance Services. The energy benchmarking, operations cost saving, energy monitoring services and full energy auditing capability will provide a measurable, provable return on investment (ROI) in conjunction with maintenance contracts. […]
Developer Obtains Loan to Build 51-Story Miami Residential High-Rise
A joint-venture between Eastview Development and GTIS Partners has closed on a $120 million loan from Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies to fund construction of Biscayne Beach, a 51-story, 399 unit luxury condominium under development at 711 NE 29th Street in Miami’s East Edgewater neighborhood. Construction of Biscayne Beach began in June 2014 with completion […]
550 Biltmore in Coral Gables Attracts Latin American Headquarters
On the heels of signing UBS to the largest Coral Gables lease of the year, Taylor & Mathis has secured an additional $25 million in leases at the iconic 550 Biltmore. The Taylor & Mathis leasing team of Brian Gale and Ryan Holtzman negotiated the transactions on behalf of owner AEW. In a new to […]
Strong Demand for Space at West Palm Beach High-Rise Complex
Phillips Point, built in 1986 is one of West Palm Beach’s most high profile office properties and it continues to enjoy a historically high occupancy rate with $46.5 million in recent leasing transactions. The complex consists of 423,323 rentable square feet in two towers, a 19-story West Tower and a 13-story East Tower and a […]
KBS REIT III Acquires 171 17th Street in Atlanta for $132.5 Million
Newport Beach, California-based KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III (KBS REIT III) has acquired 171 17th Street, a 21-story, trophy quality office building in Atlanta for $132.5 million plus closing costs. JP Morgan was the seller. It was 89-percent leased at closing. 171 17th Street is a 509,237-square-foot property that was the world’s first LEED […]
Groundbreaking Next Week for Midtown Atlanta Student Housing High-Rise
Dallas, Texas-based Inland American Communities Group, Inc. (IAC) will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for its newest University House property, University House Midtown, on Wednesday, May 14th, at 10:00 a.m. Located at the corner of Spring Street and 8th Street in Atlanta, the high-rise residenctial tower will be adjacent to the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia […]
Atlanta’s 72-Story Westin Peachtree Plaza Completes $70 Million Transformation
The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta’s iconic John Portman-designed hotel, has completed the final phase of its grand $70 million renovation. In partnership with Atlanta architecture firm Cooper Cary, Atlanta interior designer Carolyn Auger of Blackdog Studio and contractor Balfour Beatty, every interior element of the hotel from the redesigned lobby, all 1,073 guest rooms and […]
FirstService Residential, the leading property management company in New Jersey, announces Dawn Ruggiero as Executive Director in the High Rise Division. In this role, her focus is providing leadership and operational oversight to FirstService Residential associates and high-rise communities in the Gold Coast region of New Jersey.
Ruggiero brings over 20 years of experience in managing a diverse mix of communities including condominiums, co-ops, multi-use, and homeowner associations. She holds several industry accreditations including the Association Management Specialist (AMS), Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), and the most prestigious professional recognition available the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM).
Prior to joining FirstService Residential she held the position of Regional Manager supervising 13 property managers responsible for 20 associations in northern New Jersey. Ruggiero has a proven track record as a portfolio manager managing 12 associations totaling over 3,000 units comprised of garden-style, mid-rise, and high-rise condominium communities. As a sited manager she successfully managed a 32 story high-rise with a staff of 35 employees.
Ruggiero is an active member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and has served on numerous committees including the Legislative Action Committee, Editorial Committee, and Membership Committee. In 2010 she received CAI Author of the Year for her contributions. She is also a certified Trained Alternate Dispute Mediator.
“Dawn is a consummate professional, active participant in our industry and brings a wealth of experience and leadership to our continually expanding team,” said Arthur Bartikofsky, Senior Vice President, High Rise Division. “We have experienced significant growth in high-rise operations over the past year and specifically in the Gold Coast region of New Jersey. Bringing on top tier talent such as Dawn is critical for our continued success.”
“I have spent my career focused on providing exceptional customer service, developing team members, and continually challenging myself to learn new skills and knowledge for the betterment of the communities and team members I serve,” said Dawn Ruggiero. “FirstService Residential’s culture aligns perfectly with my core values and I look forward to playing a part in our continued success.”
High-Rise Managers Share Best Practices at New Jersey Roundtable
VP of High-Rise Operations, Cyndy Pirrera, Says Property Management is All About People
Three Promoted to Senior Vice President at FirstService Residential 
FirstService Residential Hosts High-Rise Roundtable in Washington, DC
Grounbreaking for Tallest Residential High-Rise in New JerseyCategory: New York City, People
Founded by the Romans, the small town of Rottweil is located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, in southwest Germany. The old city is famous for its medieval center and for its traditional carnival, called “Fasnet” in the local Swabian dialect. The oldest town in the region, Rottweil’s appearance has changed very little […]
Chicago High-Rise Owner Turns Under-Used Top Floor into ‘Wow’ Suite
A classic Mies van der Rohe-style building, 401 North Michigan was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in the 1960s. Formerly known as the Equitable Building, the 35-story tower sits on the second largest plaza in Chicago. “Pioneer Court is second in size only to the Daley Plaza,” says Eric Taylor, assistant vice president at Zeller Realty Group. “The building purposely has a large plaza area so it could be set back from the road.” [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction is on the Rise
With everything the U.S. economy has endured in the last decade, who would have thought that the development and construction of high-rise towers in major cities would be on the rise? Despite the recession, the events of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the real estate market collapse, a recent report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) – Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2013 – says that high-rise construction is increasing again across the country. [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.
Height of Hospitality: The Unique Challenges of High-Rise Hotels
High-rise hotels offer up some unique challenges. Regardless of the economy, guest satisfaction scores correlate with guest retention, length of stay, and overall hotel success – which ultimately contribute to a healthier bottom line. And facilities management plays an important role in making sure guests are satisfied with hotel facilities and amenities. So how do you overcome common high-rise hotel design and operations challenges to stand out as one of the [...]
An award winning editor, Leah spent over eight years in senior
editorial positions at both BUILDINGS magazine and ARCHI-TECH
magazine. Her work has been incorporated into training and
educational programs around the country. She is a graduate of
University of Iowa. She is Editor at Large for High Rise Facilities.