February 2012
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And the Winners Are...

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Seated (l-r) Roberta M. McGowan, CAE, BOMA/NY Executive Director, Theresa Egan (Renovated Building), John Flaherty/SMA/SMT (Operating Office Building 100,000-249,999 sf); Allison Testone (Operating Office Building 250,000-499,999sf); Cindy Boyea,RPA/CPM/CCIM, (Manager of the Year Over 10 Years Experience/, Operating Office Building Over 1,000,000 sf); John Simoni, Esq. (Outstanding Local Member of the Year); Allison Blais(Henry J. Muller Achievement Award); David Croce (Operating Office Building Over 1,000,000 sf).

Standing (l-r) Sandy Hahn, Pinnacle Awards Committee Chair and Emcee; Paul Greene (Historical Building); Matthew Lang (Civic Betterment); Michael Borrero (Earth Award); Kenneth Fidje, RPA/LEED AP( Manager of the Year, 3-10 Years Experience); Kevin Reade, RPA,  (Corporate Facility); Jeff Caimi, LEED AP, (Operating Office Building 500,000-1 million sf); Patrick L. Dolan, RPA, (New Construction); Tom Krol, LEED AP, Pinnacle Awards Committee Co-Chair and Emcee; Louis J. Mantia, BOMA/NY President

New York, NY – At the 2011-12 BOMA/NY Pinnacle Awards ceremony held Feb. 9, where the margin of victory was characterized as "razor thin", 14 winners took home the prized Pinnacle statuette, with competition fielding the most Energy Star® and LEED buildings ever. The Pinnacle is the New York round of  the TOBY (The Office Building of the Year) Awards competition of BOMA International and is the highest award given owners and managers in the commercial real estate industry.

"The fact that all the buildings competed so well and within such close scoring range of each other is testimony not only to the Pinnacle process, which builds better management teams, but the quality of New York’s management teams overall," said Louis J. Mantia, President of BOMA/NY.

Among the most dramatic competitions of the evening :

•  The Earth Award was hotly contested by towers from the past three generations of New York development—One Penn Plaza, One World Financial Center and Eleven Times Square—with the ‘70’s era icon, One Penn Plaza, prevailing.

•  In a battle of two Energy Star®, Art Deco landmarks, the Chanin Building at 122 East 42nd Street edged out 500 Fifth Avenue for Historical Building.

•  In the Operating Office Building, 500,000-1million sf category, the Post Modern, Energy Star® tower at 712 Fifth Avenue took home the Pinnacle, besting its competition, 888 Seventh Avenue.

•  And, a Pinnacle record was set by Paramount Group, Inc.’s Cindy Boyea, RPA/CPM/CCIM, who for the first time in the award’s history, won Manager of the Year in the over 10 years of Experience category and took home the award for 1301 Avenue of the Americas in the Operating Office Building Over 1 million sf category. Kenneth Fidje, RPA/LEED AP, manager of Vornado Realty Trust’s 888 Seventh Avenue, took home the honors in the Manager of the Year, 3-10 Years of Experience category.

Held at Chelsea Piers, the Pinnacle Award Winners were unveiled in the Pinnacles trademark, "Oscar"-style ceremony. They are:  

John Simoni, Esq., well known for the multi-million dollar lawsuits he’s won on behalf of clients, was named a "Super Lawyer" in Construction for the past four years by superlawyer.com, and rated AV Preeminent (highest level possible) by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review rating system.  But to BOMA/NY, he is the colleague who has donated countless hours—including entire days at the state capital in Albany or in Washington, DC—advocating for the industry. He's coordinated the BOMA/NY advocacy team, shaping lobbying messages on a host of issues, and leading efforts to resist taxes and regulation that would have harmed the industry. He’s also a superb communicator, participating in seminars for the American Institute of Architects, BOMA/NY’s Annual Conference and Lorman Seminars on the NYC Building Code.

Named for its developer and design muse, Irwin Chanin, The Chanin Building at 122 East 42nd Street joined the New York skyline during the 1929 construction boom as the third largest building in the world. The building’s exterior is constructed of limestone and terra cotta, and its exquisite base, which is adorned with black marble, two notable friezes and embellished with sensual, circular forms, has earned New York City landmark status. Though the building provides an experience that immediately transports tenants and visitors back to the gracious Art Deco era, its amenities and services are state-of-the-art, and it offers a unique corporate environment that few can equal in Midtown Manhattan.

An affiliate of the national organization, Rebuilding Together Inc., the New York chapter works throughout the five boroughs and has rebuilt more than 80 homes since its founding in 1999. Work is accomplished through Rebuilding Days, where volunteers do the construction that is necessary to bring new life to a single home, a block or a neighborhood occupied by a homeowner in need, often the elderly or physically–challenged. Volunteers include members of the skilled construction labor trades—who install electrical and plumbing systems, or perform carpentry projects-- and are made available by generous trade organizations and firms. All of this combined talent and goodwill results in a home that is cherished by the grateful homeowner, who can now live in warmth, safety and independence.

The iconic red "1" atop the 57-story One Penn Plaza stands as much for the home of New York City’s largest co-generation plant retrofit as it does for the building’s address and location astride the City’s number one transit hub—Pennsylvania Station. A city-within-the-City, the 2.58-million-sf tower at One Penn Plaza occupies an entire city block and is a major economic engine in its own right, generating nearly $800 million in economic activity. Notable among its green accomplishments are a LEED-EB "walk" score of 100, a  400-ton 6.2 MW co-generation plant—which reduces its carbon footprint by a full 40%--and its recycling of condensate water to save 5.4 million gallons of domestic water yearly, all part of the sustainability initiatives that have made this landmark as green as it is modern.

Built on hallowed ground within the footprints of the former and much beloved World Trade Center, the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum was created first to remember and honor the nearly 3,000 who were lost to us in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It is also guided by a mission to establish a sense of respect for a place made sacred through tragic loss, to recognize the endurance of the survivors, and to salute the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours. Symbolizing tears shed as well as the water of life, the reflecting pools stand at the heart of a beautifully landscaped, tree-lined plaza. The life of every victim will be commemorated, and the attacks will be documented through multi-media displays, stories and artifacts. But, rising above it all, is a mission worthy of the memories—to respect life, to preserve freedom, and to inspire an end to hatred, ignorance and intolerance.

Exceeding expectations is what Ken Fidje is all about. Previously, as a manager of building operations and production at Madison Square Garden, and today, in his current role—one very much under the microscope—as  manager of Vornado’s corporate headquarters, where he has implemented a $40 million repositioning, "Ken anticipates, plans meticulously, and delivers in an effortless manner", Vornado Office COO Gaston Silva remarks.  He also leads by example, and was the first Vornado manager to reach FSD/EAPD and LEED AP status. And, finally, Ken is credited with building such a sense of community that tenants consider it "a pleasure to be part of the 888 Seventh Avenue team, and call 888 our home."

Cindy Boyea is more than a property manager—she’s an integral force in setting company-wide standards, technology, community outreach and tenant relations/communications. "Without a doubt, Cindy has played one of the most valuable roles in the successful reputation achieved by Paramount Group", says Bernard Marasco, in-house counsel for leasing and management.  Her tenants at 1301 Avenue of the Americas would agree. OakTree Capital Management says that, while they have worked with many property managers, "none stand out like Cindy".  Among her accomplishments at 1301 are making a moribund co-generation plant functional again and lowering operating expenses by more than $2 million. She is a committed mentor and teaches company-wide employee classes on standards, administration and budgeting as part of the firm’s internal development program.   

From its sizzling, show business base to its iconic white crown, 1515 Broadway has been a pioneer in development on the Great White Way since it debuted in 1972 as the boulevard’s first corporate headquarters in the post-war era. And it has been rewriting its role ever since. Today it has returned to its corporate roots as the world headquarters for Viacom, a leader in global multimedia entertainment, and the major tenant occupying 85% of the space. Not one, but two, theaters are incorporated into the building. The building has a 6-story, 188,378–sf glass curtainwall base, containing the Minskoff and Best Buy Theaters, 33,500-sf of trendy, flagship retail and 72,355-sf parking garage. A $60 million renovation repositioned the soaring tower from lobby to roof, and, as 1515 enters its fifth decade on Broadway, it is in its strongest position to date, well-suited for its leading role as a world-class headquarters.

Fresh and dynamic when it opened in 1955 as the Children’s Apparel Building, 112 West 34th Street today has been repositioned for a new generation of service through an $80 million capital improvements program.  The renovation has elevated the building’s clean-lined finishes and standards to the demands of the 21st Century, as showcased by a new glass curtainwall for the building’s 26-story exterior.  Also part of the renovation are: a new stone and marble lobby featuring a 30-foot undulating ceiling; state-of-the-art security desk with concierge services; new entryways at 34th and 33rd Streets; renovated restrooms; and upgraded electrical, security, plumbing and mechanical systems building-wide. 

One of New York’s most architecturally distinctive office towers, whose design has remained an original since it burst on the scene in the late 1980’s, 461 Fifth Avenue blends classic motifs with contemporary sensibilities in a design now considered a Post-Modern landmark. The 27-story boutique tower rests on a base that pays tribute to its historic neighbors with an articulated limestone façade and retail storefronts featuring classic black granite pediments and bronze detailing. Its entrance is one of the most unique in Manhattan—a tree-filled, secluded courtyard that carries forward the elegant detailing of the base, as does the two-story, light-filled lobby accented in marble, granite, wood and polished bronze. Now in its third decade of service, 461 Fifth Avenue maintains its reputation as one of Manhattan’s best Post-Modern developments.     

The sleek, clean, contemporary lines of 600 Lexington soar 37 stories above one of Midtown East’s prime intersections. Created as a luxury office tower in 1982 by investors catering to the high-end European market, this 304,524-sf jewel has regained its Class A niche through a renovation and new management practices undertaken by new owner SL Green Realty Corp., which also restored its Energy Star® status.  Inside the spacious double-height lobby, the garish orange marble of the past is gone, replaced with white Botticino stone adorning the lobby desk, floors and west wall. On the eastern wall, wood panels extend into the elevator banks, creating an elegant line and framing the new guest reception area. These stunning upgrades have been carried out on the new tenant floors, which feature sustainable installations that will ultimately bring ownership’s commitment to success to every floor.

712 Fifth Avenue’s slender tower is one of the most graceful in New York and its unusual height in the elite Plaza District has already made it a modern landmark. The windows at 712 Fifth Avenue have particular stature—from the three restored and unique-to-New York Rene Lalique masterworks in the Bendel’s store, to the unusually large windows of the tower, which are six feet wide and run almost floor to ceiling. Interior spaces, including the restrooms, have finished brass, chrome, granite and marble. While it is known for its stylish design, 712 Fifth is also an Energy Star® certified building that is entering its third decade by preparing for LEED certification, proving that a high-performance building can be both elegant and sustainable.