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 […]

Elevator Modernization: Tips on Project Planning, Budgeting, and Management

“Think about a LinkedIn or Shutterstock employee,” says Thomas Durels, executive vice president, chief of property operations and leasing for Empire State Realty Trust. “Those are our tenants; they’re working at the Empire State Building any time, day or night. They’re traveling to and from restaurants, a fitness center, conference space, and their workspaces – all under one roof. We’re contributing to their productivity by making sure they don’t have to wait in line for…

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-Rise Hotels That Get IT

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…

The 5 Rings of High-Rise Residential Security

Tenants living in residential high-rises have different security expectations based on a wide variety of factors, says Daun St. Amand, vice president at RTKL Associates. “They ebb and flow relative to several things.”

Security levels and expectations vary…

Restroom Faucets Get Smart

It may seem like all touchless restroom faucet fixtures are created equal (and have been that way for the past few years). Recently, however, manufacturers have unveiled new technology that offers helpful benefits and savings for facilities professionals. The latest commercial faucet lines offer smart fixtures that don’t just dispense water for hand-washing – they […]

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 […]

Texas’s Tallest Residential Tower Solves Hot Water Delivery Problem

The Austonian is Austin, Texas’s premiere luxury residence. Located in the heart of Austin’s eclectic culture, it offers 360° views and unparalleled amenities to its residents, and has received a Four Star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. At more than 680 feet tall, The Austonian is the tallest residential tower West of the Mississippi River.

Shortly after opening, in 2010, homeowners noticed a plumbing problem. In some cases, 2-3 minutes were needed for warm water to reach the fixtures.

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 […]

Don’t Overlook These Energy-Saving Opportunities

Facilities managers of large commercial buildings can’t open a trade publication or scan an industry website without reading something about energy-saving products, practices, or protocols … and with good reason. In 2011, commercial buildings accounted for nearly one-fifth of the total energy used in the United States, with an aggregate expenditure of more than $132 […]

Turn Building System Data into Actionable Insight

Many high-rise facilities have evolved to become multi-function, multi-tenant spaces where tenants can live, work, and shop all in one building. Managing a large space can be a challenge when trying to provide a comfortable environment while maximizing energy efficiency and keeping building costs low. The balance between happy tenants and reasonable costs can be […]

Mixed-Use On the Rise: Challenges and Solutions for a New Breed of High-Rises

Although they’re not incredibly common yet in the United States, mixed-use towers are growing in popularity. They maximize building infrastructure, address density issues, and capitalize on building owners’ investments through multiple income streams. They also provide a type of investment diversification (when office lease rates are down, residential leases may be up, for example). But many of today’s commercial architects find themselves working on…

LED Versus Fluorescent Lighting: Is it Time to Upgrade?

How long does it take for the lifecycle costs of fluorescent fixtures to exceed LEDs? Do the maintenance requirements of fluorescent fixtures have an impact on these costs? How will the development of LED lighting affect the breakeven point between the two technologies? These questions and many others are frequently on the minds of anyone […]

Increase Your High-Rise Building’s Value With Efficient Lighting

While high-rise buildings have unique energy-efficiency challenges relative to occupancy and ownership, there is significant evidence that energy reduction not only saves money for building owners and operators, but also increases property value. According to the Institute for Market Transformation, lower energy costs translate to higher returns. Energy-efficient properties have higher occupancy levels, lease-up rates, […]

People Who Live in Glass Houses… Keep the Blinds Closed

High-Rise Tenants Pay a Premium for Views and Energy, Often Wasting Both 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) […]

Automated Window and Facade Cleaning System Offers Safety and Savings

2 Broadway in New York City is a high-rise office tower that opened in 1959 and was renovated in 1999. As part of the renovation, a new glass curtain wall with stainless steel mullions was installed replacing operable windows. The original window cleaning method was completed by two window cleaners using a portable scaffold supported […]

High-Rise Hotel Analyzes Window Film Effectiveness

What’s the best way to prove that your green investments are paying off? To measure the savings on utility bills, and improvements that tenants are experiencing as a result of your investment.

Whether you’re cutting back on energy use due to mandates or voluntary efforts, quantifying the savings from your green initiatives can help determine whether the purchases are truly worth it (or at least offset implementation costs). This data can go a long way toward supporting other green investments in the future as well. It can also be a solid indicator of improved building performance, which could make your facility more attractive to tenants or prospective buyers.

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.

38-Story Residential High-Rise is First in NYC to Offer Composting Program

The 38-story Helena apartment building on Manhattan’s West Side is the first in the city to offer its residents regular food scrap collection through the city’s Organics Collection Program. The program takes “organic materials” such as food scraps, soiled paper and plants out of the trash stream, and recycles them , helping the City reduce […]

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 […]

Preparing for the Next Big Storm: NYC Task Force Examines Disaster Readiness

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.

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.

32 Avenue of the Americas to Host New State-of-the-Art Data Center

In a significant transaction for the technology industry in New York City and Lower Manhattan, Telx, a leading provider of interconnection and data center services, has “plugged in” to the Rudin Family’s 32 Avenue of the Americas in TriBeCa. The cloud enablement provider has signed a 20-year, 45,000 square-foot lease for the entire 10th floor […]

Cushman & Wakefield Named Exclusive Leasing Agent at 295 Madison Avenue

The Eretz Group has named Cushman & Wakefield the exclusive leasing agent for 295 Madison Avenue, a Midtown Manhattan boutique office tower located one block from Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. The Eretz Group acquired the property last summer from Westbrook Properties and The Minian Group for $213 million. 295 Madison Avenue, which is […]

Thornton Tomasetti Awarded ACEC-NY Engineering Excellence Award for Brookfield Place

Thornton Tomasetti, the international engineering firm, has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC-NY) with a Platinum 2014 Engineering Excellence Award in the Structural Systems category for the Brookfield Place Entry Pavilion project in Lower Manhattan. The award will be presented to the project team on March 29 at […]

New Broker and Renovations Paying Off at Midtown Manhattan High-Rise

Silverstein Properties’ midtown Manhattan office tower, 1177 Avenue of the Americas, is now 93 percent leased. Since partnering with JLL in 2012, and completing a comprehensive redesign of the lobby and building entrance, the company has leased 217,000 square feet of space in the 1 million square foot building. Major leases include the Practising Law […]

Lincoln Property Puts West Loop Office Tower Up For Sale

A joint venture of Lincoln Property Company and Newport Beach, Calif.-based investment manager PIMCO, has retained HFF to sell their 29-story office tower located at 230 West Monroe on Chicago’s West Loop. The JV acquired the 623,524-square-foot in August 2012 for $91.3 million from General Electric Pension Trust. 230 West Monroe is currently 67.6 percent […]

Law Firm Inks Huge Lease at Hines’ 52-Story Chicago High-Rise

DLA Piper has signed a lease to relocate its Chicago law office to River Point at 444 W. Lake Street in Chicago’s West Loop area. The firm has leased approximately 175,000 square feet of office space on levels 9-16 in River Point and will move to their new space in early 2017. Another law firm, […]

CTBUH Announces Several Staff Promotions, Hires and Opportunities

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has announced several staff promotions, hires, and opportunities for new members of their staff. A not-for-profit organization, based at the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, CTBUH is a leading resource for professionals focused on the design, construction, and operation of tall buildings and future cities. Steven […]

Renovations Completed at Historic San Francisco High-Rise

The San Francisco office of architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has brought new life to 140 New Montgomery, one of San Francisco’s iconic Art Deco high-rises. Constructed in 1925, 140 New Montgomery was one of the tallest skyscrapers on the West Coast at the time of its construction. The building was home to the Pacific […]

Trade Group Proposes Hot Water Pipe Insulation as California Declares Drought

Speaking at a San Francisco news conference on January 17th, California Governor Jerry Brown officially declared a drought emergency in the state. Brown called on all citizens to voluntarily reduce their water use by at least 20%. 2013 was the driest year on record in California with San Francisco receiving the least amount of rain […]

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 High-Rise Office Tower Planned for Downtown Bellevue, Washington

West coast developer Schnitzer West plans to build a 16-story Class A+ office building in Bellevue, Washington. The project site is located in the central business district on the corner of 106th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Fourth Street. Plans call for a 360,000-square foot office building that will include street-level retail and a Bank of […]

55-Story Seattle Office Building to Undergo Complete Facade Restoration

Four elevations of aluminum facade are undergoing a complete restoration at 1201 Third Avenue, a 55-story office building in the heart of downtown Seattle. Built in 1988, the high-rise has experienced wear and tear over the years, creating an aged facade in need of cleaning. The architectural restoration company, Stuart Dean, will clean, refinish and […]

College to Build High-Rise Student Housing in Downtown Seattle

Capstone Development Partners (CDP) and Cornish College of the Arts are working together to bring new student housing, classrooms and administrative offices to the Cornish campus in downtown Seattle. “We are so pleased to partner with CDP on this project,” said Cornish President Nancy J. Uscher. “This new building will be the heart of our […]

Burbank’s Tallest Office Building Sold for $109 Million, 95% Vacant

A 32-story high-rise office building located at 3900 W. Alameda Ave. in Burbank’s media district has been sold for $109 million, which is $58 million less than New York asset management firm BlackRock Inc. paid for the building in 2005. Tower Burbank’s buyer, a new joint venture between PCCP LLC and the Worthe Real Estate […]

Area Residents Sue L.A. Live Marriott Developers for Public Nuisance

Real estate developers of downtown Los Angeles projects face allegations of illegal construction practices in a lawsuit filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court by Castelblanco Law Group, APLC. The complaint specifically alleges that developers involved with the 23-story Courtyard Marriott/Residence Inn project engaged in construction 24 hours per day, upsetting the low income families […]

JLL Awarded Leasing Assignment for L.A.’s 50-Story Gas Company Tower

In a strategic move for leasing in downtown Los Angeles, Brookfield Office Properties Inc. has awarded Jones Lang LaSalle’s Los Angeles team of Carl Muhlstein and Hayley Blockley the exclusive leasing representation of the company’s iconic, 50-story high-rise known as The Gas Company Tower. The prestigious Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed, 1.4 million square-foot tower on […]

Boston’s Fan Pier Getting Another High-Rise

Developer Joseph Fallon has begun construction on a 17-story office and retail high-rise on Northern Avenue, in Boston’s Fan Pier district. this will be the fourth commercial tower on Fan Pier. The 515,000 square foot, build-to-suit tower will house the Boston office of global law firm Goodwin Procter LLP. Fan Pier is one of the […]

Master of Science in Facility Management Expanding to Online

Beginning in September 2014, Boston-based Wentworth Institute of Technology will offer its Master of Science in Facility Management in a fully online format in addition to the current on-campus format. This represents the third fully online degree program for the Institute. Both the on-campus and online formats will continue to be offered part-time to appeal […]

Wayfair Expands Boston’s Copley Place Lease Even Before Moving In

Wayfair, one of the largest online retailers of home furnishings and decor, has leased an additional 170,000 square feet at Simon Property Group’s The Offices at Copley Place in Boston’s Back Bay. In anticipation of a June relocation, the additional space brings Wayfair’s new office space to a total footprint of 275,000 square feet. Financial […]

New Gensler Designed High-Rise Hotel Planned for Downtown Houston

Houston-based developer Midway, and hotel operator Valencia Group, announced plans yesterday for Hotel Alessandra, a 25-story luxury high-rise hotel in downtown Houston’s GreenStreet district. Formerly known as the Houston Pavilions, GreenStreet is a Class-A mixed-use project, spanning four city blocks, connected via sky bridges and above-ground walkways. Slated to debut in late 2016, this venture […]

Learning from a Leader, a Conversation with Stream Realty’s Greg Pell

Unlike many facilities professionals, Greg Pell didn’t venture into commercial real estate management with previous experience, or by climbing the ranks. An industry leader took a chance on him, and Pell excelled in his very first role as property manager. Paying it forward as his career developed, Pell now enjoys identifying potential in young industry […]

Uptown Houston Luxury Residential High-Rise Breaks Ground

The Interfin Companies has broken ground on their luxury high-rise condominium known as Belfiore, located in the Uptown area of Houston. The ceremony included a blessing from Most Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston followed by the groundbreaking conducted by Scott Schwinger, Giorgio Borlenghi, Joe Hudson and Joseph Lopez donning hard hats with […]

Troubled Dallas High-Rise, One Main Place, Sold to KFK Group

One Main Place, a 33-story office high-rise located at 1201 Main Street in Dallas’ Central Business District, is under new ownership according to Elie Khoury, President and CEO of the New Orleans-based KFK Group. Designed by world renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One Main Place is considered to be a longtime landmark of […]

City of Dallas to Provide $50 Million to Makeover Vacant High-Rise

1401 Elm, a 1.5 million-square foot skyscraper in the heart of downtown Dallas, has been sold to Olympic 1401 Elm Associates, LLC, a collaborative joint venture between Seth Weinstein of Olympic Property Partners, a New York-based commercial real estate company, and Bryan Dorsey of BDRC, a Texas-based development group. 1401 Elm is a 52-story high-rise […]

Cielo Property Group Adds Autin, TX Office Tower to Growing Portfolio

Cielo Property Group recently purchased an 181,000 square foot office building at 823 Congress Ave. in downtown Austin. The purchase price was not disclosed, but the Travis Central Appraisal District values the building and parcel at $21.9 million. Located just two blocks from the Texas Capitol, the 15-story high-rise, built in 1970, is 94 percent […]

Rubenstein Partners Plans to Modernize Recently Acquired Penn Mutual Towers

Rubenstein Partners has acquired Philadelphia’s Penn Mutual Towers, a historic Class A complex spanning 850,000 square feet at 510-530 Walnut Street in the heart of the historic section of Center City. Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) has been named exclusive leasing agent for the three buildings, the tallest of which rises to 22 stories. It […]

Philadelphia-Based Burns Mechanical Appoints New Service Division GM

Philadelphia-area mechanical construction and energy services firm Burns Mechanical has announced the appointment of Matthew Rafferty as service manager of its service division. Burns is a leading provider of mechanical service in the Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware regions, and its clients benefit from an extensive array of service offerings as well as exceptional […]

Developer Proposes Tower of Highest Priced Condos in Philadelphia

Luxury residential residential developer Tom Scannapieco is planning to construct a 26-story high-rise dubbed 500 Walnut, in Philadelphia’s most historic neighborhood. Facing Independence National Historic Park, the planned glass “needle” tower is designed by architect, Cecil Baker, and may command Philadelphia’s priciest rents. On the heels of Scannapieco’s success with his luxury tower 1706 Rittenhouse […]

Sales Gallery Opens for High-Rises on South Florida’s Last Private Island

An on-site sales gallery is now open for a planned high-rise development on South Florida’s last buildable private island. Privé at Island Estates is being developed by Florida-based BH3 and Gary Cohen. “The overwhelming response we have received during the short pre-sale period is a testament to the unique appeal of living on an eight-acre, […]

Wells Fargo Center Tampa Exceeds 90% Occupancy for First Time in 20 Years

It took the new ownership only 13 months to bring occupancy at Wells Fargo Center in downtown Tampa to over 90%. The signature office tower reached 93% occupancy with over 96,000 square feet of leases since Feldman Equities and Tower Realty Partners purchased the Class A office building in January of 2013. Larry Feldman, CEO […]

Cushman & Wakefield Named Leasing Agent for Miami’s Tallest High-Rise

Cushman & Wakefield’s Gordon Messinger and team has been named exclusive leasing team for The Offices at the Four Seasons Tower Miami. The downtown tower was completed in 2003 and rises 789 feet with 70 floors, making it the tallest building in Miami as well as in Florida. Located at 1441 Brickell Avenue, the building […]

Construction Begins on 23-Story Atlanta Residential High-Rise, Cyan on Peachtree

Dallas-based Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc. has started construction on Cyan on Peachtree, a new 329-unit luxury multifamily property with a prominent Peachtree Road address in the heart of the Buckhead office and entertainment district approximately five miles north of downtown Atlanta. The property will include a 23-story residential tower and an adjacent seven-level […]

Residential High-Rises Participate in New Bike Sharing Program

Residents living in Novare’s SkyHouse Atlanta and SkyHouse Orlando high-rises are now able to participate in a bike sharing service. Zagster, a company that provides bike sharing programs for real estate providers has partnered with Novare Group, a developer of mixed-use high-rise communities in southeastern urban markets, to offer the new service. The cruiser-style bikes […]

CBRE’s Atlantic Station Office Towers Earn BOMA Georgia Awards

Two properties at Atlantic Station owned by CBRE Global Investors were each recently honored with The Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Awards from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Georgia: 201 17th Street received the 2013 TOBY Award in the 250,000 to 499,999 square-foot category 271 17th Street received the 2013 TOBY Award […]