Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Developer Acquires Hudson Yards Site for Chinese Targeted High-Rise
A joint venture of Siras Development, a New York-based luxury real estate development group and Kuafu Properties, the New York-based Chinese real estate investment and development company, have completed the acquisition of a prime development site in Midtown Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, comprising five adjacent parcels located at the southeast corner of 38th Street and 11th […]
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 […]
Chinese Firm Plans to Build Chicago’s Third Tallest High-Rise
A Chinese real estate firm, the Wanda Group, is planning to invest $900 million to build Chicago’s third tallest building. The project site is located in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago, one of the last remaining sites within the Lakeshore East area. Many of Chicago’s well-known sites and attractions are within walking distance […]
JDL and iStar Secure Loan to Build 469-Unit Chicago Apartment High-Rise
A joint venture between JDL Development and iStar Financial have secured $79.65 million in financing for the development of 1000 South Clark Street, a 469-unit, luxury apartment tower in Chicago’s South Loop. HFF secured the four-year, floating-rate construction loan through Bank of the Ozarks. 1000 South Clark Street is located at the intersection of South […]
C&W Adds to U.S. Facilities Management Services Team
Cushman & Wakefield announced today two new appointments to the U.S. Facilities Management Services executive team led by Roger Gonzalez, Senior Managing Director, U.S. Head of Facilities Management. Scott Offermann joins the firm as a Managing Director and Gary Graham joins as a Director. Mr. Offermann will serve as U.S. Critical Operations Manager and Mr. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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 […]
Sales Center for $1.2 Billion Project Provides Buyers an Interactive Experience
Developer Kemper Freeman Jr has borrowed a page from the video game industry to solve a common real estate problem: how to sell a space that has yet to be built. Putting a high-tech spin on the traditional architectural model, the Kemper Development Company has introduced an immersive sales center experience. The multi-million dollar sales […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Wood Partners Hires Trinity Blue as Senior VP of Operations for Western Region
Wood Partners has hired Trinity Blue, a veteran property manager and former vice president of AvalonBay Communities in New York, as senior vice president of operations for its Western Region. In the newly created position, Blue will oversee and drive internal property management operations with a primary focus on maximizing net operating income on the […]
San Diego-Based Firm Plans New High-Rise Mixed-Use Community
San Diego-based real estate development and investment company Zephyr Partners has paid $21.1 million in an off-market acquisition of one of the last remaining full blocks of available property in downtown San Diego – a 60,000-square-foot site on Broadway between 7th Ave. and 8th Ave. The existing property, consisting of rundown and underutilized retail, parking […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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 […]
Boston RDA Approves 1.2 Million Square-Feet of Development
The Boston Redevelopment Authority Board approved a number of projects and initiatives throughout Boston last week. The ten approved development projects represent over $461.2 million of investment in the city and over 1.2 million square feet of development. When these projects break ground, they will create nearly 1,400 construction jobs. The BRA Board voted to […]
David Steinbach Promoted to CIO of Hines Global REIT
David Steinbach has been appointed as the Chief Investment Officer of Hines Global REIT, Inc. Since joining Hines in 1999, David has been responsible for the acquisition of more than $3 billion in assets for various Hines affiliates in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to this role he served in various roles in which he […]
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, […]
For Sale: San Antonio’s 28 Story Bank of America Plaza
CBRE has won the exclusive marketing assignment for Bank of America Plaza, a premier core Class A office building in San Antonio’s Central Business District. The property is owned by Talcott Realty Investors and managed by Transwestern. The 28-story, 534,184-square-foot office building is located at 300 Convent Street in San Antonio. It features the highest […]
Peloton Selected to Manage Dallas’ Tallest Skyscraper
Metropolis Investment Holdings has selected Peloton Commercial Real Estate to oversee the property management of Dallas’ tallest office tower, the Metropolis-owned Bank of America Plaza at 901 Main Street. Peloton currently leases the 72-story high-rise office building. Bank of America Plaza contains over 1.8 million square feet of office and retail space and was completed […]
Fountain Place in Downtown Dallas Sold for $200 Million
Atlanta-based Goddard Investment Group has acquired Fountain Place, one of the tallest buildings in downtown Dallas. The seller, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, has owned the building since 2011. The purchase price was not immediately disclosed but is estimated to be about $200 million. Fountain Place is a 1.2 million squre-foot, 60-story office tower at 1445 […]
Crescent Breaks Ground on Cesar Pelli-Designed Dallas High-Rise
Announcing it as “the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s,” officials from Crescent Real Estate Holdings have broken ground on McKinney & Olive. Designed by award-winning Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, McKinney & Olive is a 20-story high-rise office buildings located in Uptown Dallas. The 3.1-acre […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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. […]
Brandywine Realty Trust Named NAIOP 2014 Developer of the Year
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Brandywine Realty Trust as the 2014 Developer of the Year – the association’s highest honor. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Brandywine is a full-service commercial real estate services firm structured as a real estate investment trust that owns, leases and manages 283 properties and over 33 million […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Hertz Investment Aquires Tallest High-Rise in Jacksonville for $88 Million
Hertz Investment Group has completed the acquisition of Bank of America Tower, a high-rise office building located in Jacksonville, Florida for a purchase price of $88 million. The seller was Parmenter Realty Partners. The Bank of America Tower is comprised of 696,672 square feet and is located at 50 N. Laura Street in Jacksonville’s Central […]
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 […]
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 […]
Developer Reacquires Atlanta High-Rise it Built 50 Years Ago
An Atlanta-based developer, Portman Holdings, has purchased 230 Peachtree Street, a 414,768-square-foot office tower in downtown Atlanta. The 50-year-old building was first developed as an office building by Portman in 1965 as part of the Peachtree Center mixed-use development. Renovation will commence immediately to convert the 27-story building. Upon completion, office space will occupy approximately […]
Hawaii Updates Elevator Codes, Requires Written Maintenance Program
The Hawaii State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) has adopted new elevator standards effective this month. The adoption of the proposed administrative rules will bring elevator standards up to the 2010 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standards for new elevators and the 2011 ASME code for existing elevators. The revised rules also […]
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 […]
High Rise Facilities Visits the World Trade Center Site
High Rise Facilities’ editorial director, Travis Barrington, recently toured the World Trade Center (WTC) site in New York City, accompanied by Serge Demerjian, development and construction manager for Silverstein Properties and Jerry Piserchia, senior project manager for Schindler Elevator. Soaring above lower Manhattan at 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center (1WTC) was declared America’s tallest […]
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. […]
14 Wall Street Upgrades Security and Access Control Systems
14 Wall Street, in lower Manhattan, has completed a comprehensive access control installation and upgrade. Constructed in 1914, 14 Wall Street hosts 1.04-million-square-feet of commercial space. The 37-story building is located directly across from the New York Stock Exchange. The building was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1997. More than 15 perimeter […]
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 […]
Tenants File Lawsuit Alleging High-Rise Apartments Lack Heat
The LeFrak Organization, one of the largest landlords in New York City, put the deep freeze on thousands of Battery Park City residents during one of the coldest winters in recent memory. That is the accusation at the heart of a class action lawsuit filed yesterday in Supreme Court, New York County by the law […]
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. […]
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, […]
Irvine Company Named San Diego’s Energy Grand Champion for Efficient Portfolio
At the ninth annual San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) Energy Showcase event on May 13th, Irvine Company Office Properties was honored by SDG&E as the Energy Grand Champion for 2013 for its outstanding results in energy efficiency and conservation. Irvine Company Office Properties was honored for enhancing its commitment to saving natural resources by […]
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 […]
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 […]
Common Misconceptions Facility Managers Have About Fire Safety
Founded by the International Code Council (ICC), Building Safety Month is celebrated by jurisdictions worldwide during the month of May. Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign offered each year to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create and sustain safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for […]
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 […]
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 […]
World’s Largest High-Rise Data Center Lands its First Tenant
Intergate.Manhattan, the world’s largest high-rise data center, has found its first mission critical office tenant. Datagram, an internet and hosting provider in the New York metropolitan area has signed a lease at the 1 million-square-foot facility at 375 Pearl Street in Manhattan. Datagram, which is also a brand new, Tier III data center colocation tenant […]
Empire State Building Among First “WiredNYC” Certified Buildings
An initiative of the Bloomberg administration, WiredNYC is aimed at bringing transparency to broadband connectivity in NYC office buildings. The program encourages landlords to understand their internet offerings and market them as amenities, while helping tenants to make better informed searches for office space. WiredNYC, which is being operated on behalf of the city by […]
Calgary High-Rise Project to Include an Apple Orchard
An innovative condo development anchored by a one-acre apple orchard is poised to put Calgary on the map in terms of creative city planning. Developer Brad Lamb, CEO of Lamb Development Corp., has proposed a pair of 31 story high-rise residential towers with a plaza featuring an apple orchard. “Not only is this a public […]
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 […]
KONE Wins Order for Tallest Building in Malaysia
KONE will be supplying 105 elevators and escalators to KL118 Tower, a 118-storey mixed use tower developed by PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Comprising more than 400,000sqm of residential, hotel and commercial functions, KL118 tower is expected to be the tallest building in Malaysia, upon completion in 2019, a new landmark […]
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 […]
Crescent Breaks Ground on Cesar Pelli-Designed Dallas High-Rise
Announcing it as “the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s,” officials from Crescent Real Estate Holdings have broken ground on McKinney & Olive. Designed by award-winning Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, McKinney & Olive is a 20-story high-rise office buildings located in Uptown Dallas. The 3.1-acre […]
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 […]
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. […]
Excel Dryer Announces New High-Speed, Energy-Efficient XLERATOReco Hand Dryer
Excel Dryer, Inc., manufacturer of the original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR hand dryer, introduces the new XLERATOReco hand dryer. The XLERATOReco uses new “no heat” technology to dry hands in 15 seconds* using only 500 watts, making it the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly hand dryer on the planet. “At Excel Dryer, we put a lot […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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.
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…
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 […]
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 […]
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…
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 […]
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[...]
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 […]
Doing More with Less Office Space
It’s a question that commercial office owners need to confront when evaluating their building’s marketability: Exactly how does the new age of work and increased density requirements impact my property? Regardless of location, today’s corporate users are focusing on productivity, flexibility, cost control, employee recruitment and sustainability. Perhaps the most important of these is cost […]
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 […]
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[...]
People Who Live in Glass Houses… Keep the Blinds Closed
Investing in something you don’t use seems like a waste of money and resources… but that’s what appears to be happening in New York City (and probably in other U.S. cities, too). A December 2013 study led by the Urban Green Council (UGC) looked at 55 buildings throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens to see if […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
High-Rise Pre-Incident Plans Assist First Responders
Excellent response to emergency situations is never an accident. In order to ensure first responders are in the best position to save lives and property, property managers should fulfill the crucial responsibility of pre-incident planning their facilities. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has outlined pre-plan standards for fire departments to evaluate protection systems, building […]
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[...]
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 […]
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.
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, […]
Dallas High-Rise Earns First IREM Certified Sustainable Property Certification
The Energy Plaza building, a 49-story office property located at 1601 Bryan Street in downtown Dallas, has become the first building in the United States to be awarded the IREM Certified Sustainable Property certification by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Owned by Energy Future Holdings and managed by Transwestern, AMO, the building has […]
U.S. Bank Plaza in Minneapolis Awarded LEED Gold
U.S. Bank Plaza in Minneapolis has received Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings (EB) Rating System. The 22 and 40-story, Class A office towers are located in the heart of the city’s Central Business District. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, U.S. Bank Plaza contains 1.3 million rentable square […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ever Onward, Ever Upward: History of the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers
Whether the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Tower of Babel, humankind has always been reaching for the sky. Beginning with the start of the 20th century and the construction of the first modern skyscrapers, man has come a few hundred meters closer to achieving that aim. Here is a look back over more than 100 years of skyscraper history and the towers that have so far been entitled to proclaim “World’s Tallest Building”.
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 […]
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 […]
A Conversation with John Kelly, Brandywine’s Director of Property Management in Philly
John Kelly left the world of property management, but it only took a few years for him to return to his roots. “I jumped into the internet world back in 2000, taking a 4- or 5-year detour with a startup company that was building cool internet co-location data centers,” says Kelly, director of property management […]
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. […]
Excel Dryer Announces New High-Speed, Energy-Efficient XLERATOReco Hand Dryer
Excel Dryer, Inc., manufacturer of the original, patented, high-speed, energy-efficient XLERATOR hand dryer, introduces the new XLERATOReco hand dryer. The XLERATOReco uses new “no heat” technology to dry hands in 15 seconds* using only 500 watts, making it the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly hand dryer on the planet. “At Excel Dryer, we put a lot […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Developer Acquires Hudson Yards Site for Chinese Targeted High-Rise
A joint venture of Siras Development, a New York-based luxury real estate development group and Kuafu Properties, the New York-based Chinese real estate investment and development company, have completed the acquisition of a prime development site in Midtown Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, comprising five adjacent parcels located at the southeast corner of 38th Street and 11th […]
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 […]
Chinese Firm Plans to Build Chicago’s Third Tallest High-Rise
A Chinese real estate firm, the Wanda Group, is planning to invest $900 million to build Chicago’s third tallest building. The project site is located in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago, one of the last remaining sites within the Lakeshore East area. Many of Chicago’s well-known sites and attractions are within walking distance […]
JDL and iStar Secure Loan to Build 469-Unit Chicago Apartment High-Rise
A joint venture between JDL Development and iStar Financial have secured $79.65 million in financing for the development of 1000 South Clark Street, a 469-unit, luxury apartment tower in Chicago’s South Loop. HFF secured the four-year, floating-rate construction loan through Bank of the Ozarks. 1000 South Clark Street is located at the intersection of South […]
C&W Adds to U.S. Facilities Management Services Team
Cushman & Wakefield announced today two new appointments to the U.S. Facilities Management Services executive team led by Roger Gonzalez, Senior Managing Director, U.S. Head of Facilities Management. Scott Offermann joins the firm as a Managing Director and Gary Graham joins as a Director. Mr. Offermann will serve as U.S. Critical Operations Manager and Mr. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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 […]
Sales Center for $1.2 Billion Project Provides Buyers an Interactive Experience
Developer Kemper Freeman Jr has borrowed a page from the video game industry to solve a common real estate problem: how to sell a space that has yet to be built. Putting a high-tech spin on the traditional architectural model, the Kemper Development Company has introduced an immersive sales center experience. The multi-million dollar sales […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Wood Partners Hires Trinity Blue as Senior VP of Operations for Western Region
Wood Partners has hired Trinity Blue, a veteran property manager and former vice president of AvalonBay Communities in New York, as senior vice president of operations for its Western Region. In the newly created position, Blue will oversee and drive internal property management operations with a primary focus on maximizing net operating income on the […]
San Diego-Based Firm Plans New High-Rise Mixed-Use Community
San Diego-based real estate development and investment company Zephyr Partners has paid $21.1 million in an off-market acquisition of one of the last remaining full blocks of available property in downtown San Diego – a 60,000-square-foot site on Broadway between 7th Ave. and 8th Ave. The existing property, consisting of rundown and underutilized retail, parking […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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 […]
Boston RDA Approves 1.2 Million Square-Feet of Development
The Boston Redevelopment Authority Board approved a number of projects and initiatives throughout Boston last week. The ten approved development projects represent over $461.2 million of investment in the city and over 1.2 million square feet of development. When these projects break ground, they will create nearly 1,400 construction jobs. The BRA Board voted to […]
David Steinbach Promoted to CIO of Hines Global REIT
David Steinbach has been appointed as the Chief Investment Officer of Hines Global REIT, Inc. Since joining Hines in 1999, David has been responsible for the acquisition of more than $3 billion in assets for various Hines affiliates in the U.S. and internationally. Prior to this role he served in various roles in which he […]
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, […]
For Sale: San Antonio’s 28 Story Bank of America Plaza
CBRE has won the exclusive marketing assignment for Bank of America Plaza, a premier core Class A office building in San Antonio’s Central Business District. The property is owned by Talcott Realty Investors and managed by Transwestern. The 28-story, 534,184-square-foot office building is located at 300 Convent Street in San Antonio. It features the highest […]
Peloton Selected to Manage Dallas’ Tallest Skyscraper
Metropolis Investment Holdings has selected Peloton Commercial Real Estate to oversee the property management of Dallas’ tallest office tower, the Metropolis-owned Bank of America Plaza at 901 Main Street. Peloton currently leases the 72-story high-rise office building. Bank of America Plaza contains over 1.8 million square feet of office and retail space and was completed […]
Fountain Place in Downtown Dallas Sold for $200 Million
Atlanta-based Goddard Investment Group has acquired Fountain Place, one of the tallest buildings in downtown Dallas. The seller, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, has owned the building since 2011. The purchase price was not immediately disclosed but is estimated to be about $200 million. Fountain Place is a 1.2 million squre-foot, 60-story office tower at 1445 […]
Crescent Breaks Ground on Cesar Pelli-Designed Dallas High-Rise
Announcing it as “the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s,” officials from Crescent Real Estate Holdings have broken ground on McKinney & Olive. Designed by award-winning Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, McKinney & Olive is a 20-story high-rise office buildings located in Uptown Dallas. The 3.1-acre […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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. […]
Brandywine Realty Trust Named NAIOP 2014 Developer of the Year
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Brandywine Realty Trust as the 2014 Developer of the Year – the association’s highest honor. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Brandywine is a full-service commercial real estate services firm structured as a real estate investment trust that owns, leases and manages 283 properties and over 33 million […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
Hertz Investment Aquires Tallest High-Rise in Jacksonville for $88 Million
Hertz Investment Group has completed the acquisition of Bank of America Tower, a high-rise office building located in Jacksonville, Florida for a purchase price of $88 million. The seller was Parmenter Realty Partners. The Bank of America Tower is comprised of 696,672 square feet and is located at 50 N. Laura Street in Jacksonville’s Central […]
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 […]
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 […]
Developer Reacquires Atlanta High-Rise it Built 50 Years Ago
An Atlanta-based developer, Portman Holdings, has purchased 230 Peachtree Street, a 414,768-square-foot office tower in downtown Atlanta. The 50-year-old building was first developed as an office building by Portman in 1965 as part of the Peachtree Center mixed-use development. Renovation will commence immediately to convert the 27-story building. Upon completion, office space will occupy approximately […]
A few obvious factors come to mind when high-rise building owners and managers think about preparing for and recovering from a natural disaster: creating emergency plans, establishing reliable back-up power, forming business continuity strategies to preserve data… and the list goes on. But as New York continues its recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the recommendations released in a report from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn are a good reminder that there are other things to think about when preparing your facility for a possible disaster.
The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) has significantly increased elevator inspections and citations in the past year. The stepped-up enforcement effort began in December 2011 when Suzanne Hart was crushed to death by a malfunctioning elevator. Since her death the DOB has added eight additional inspectors. DOB officials issued more than 750 of its biggest […]
Water. Damage. Those two words have the potential to become a major source of liability for both facilities managers and restoration companies if not properly handled. For example, water loss in a high-rise condominium in Denver, Colo., originated on the seventh floor and grew in scope as it spread to units three floors below. While […]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is seeking $9.8 billion in federal funds to help repair infrastructure, provide long-term housing and recoup economic losses caused by Hurricane Sandy that made landfall on Oct. 29th. FEMA and private insurance is anticipated to pay for about $9.2 billion of the $19 billion in total private and public […]
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 […]
Changing Skylines: Tall Building Construction 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 […]
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[...]
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…