Dear BOMA New York Members,

In the April issue of BOMA FACTS, I concluded my memo with a message of resiliency.  Proven time and time again, New Yorkers are resilient and regardless of the situation, we rise to the occasion.  Unfortunately, recent events should remind all owners and managers to review and update their emergency action plans.

When the going gets tough, our heroes embody the spirit of New York as they keep the City operational.  We owe the many healthcare workers, firefighters, police, and first responders a perpetual thank you for their selfless act to save lives.

New Yorkers united as we all sheltered in place for more than three-months.  As the outbreak of COVID-19 subsides, it is imperative that we continue to band together and follow the same set of guidelines for reentering commercial office buildings.  Together with the industry’s leading minds, BOMA New York carefully prepared the strategies to begin repopulating workspaces throughout New York.  We shared the vetted plan with City and State officials and will continue to update the working document to reflect new public guidelines.  Our persistent collaboration will ensure our collective safety and maximize productivity.

As we ready to return to our office buildings, the digital experience has become our new normal.  I am proud to relay that the majority of the BOMA New York events calendar – from the signature monthly Lunch & Learns, to our Green & Wellness accredited classes to the BOMI curriculum – are available online via scheduled webinars.  Later in this issue of BOMA FACTS, please read about the recent webinar for our Emerging Leaders and many planned webinars scheduled in the coming weeks.

COVID-19 has no boundaries and has affected every New Yorker over the last three-months.  Given the abundance of tenants requesting rent abatement and forgiveness from owners, BOMA New York advocated the City and State to temporarily modify their property tax requirements, with the following recommendations – develop a payment plan; reduce interest payments; and/or declare a freeze on property tax increases.  We will continue to keep you up to date as new policies are announced.

Alas, crisis places a microscope on the City’s most vulnerable.  Accordingly, it’s imperative for us to help and therefore BOMA New York made a donation to the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters so that they can continue to distribute food to its pantries and soup kitchens.  We appreciate the humanitarian work that St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters does year-round and are honored to help.

As we continue to unify NYC, please join BOMA New York as we partner with more than thirty cities throughout the United States for the upcoming National Flag Day Initiative on June 14th – a nationwide effort organizing a Red, White and Blue Light Up the Night – as we remember those who have perished due to Coronavirus, as well as honor the men and women who have worked hard during the last few months to keep America safe.

BOMA New York is dedicated to the continued vibrancy of New York City.  I wish all of you and your families good health and look forward to connecting again in person.


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

We sat down with BOMA New York Board Member - Caroline Gadaleta - Head of Tri-State Property Management, JLL.

Since the pandemic began, New York City building owners regularly showed their support for our country and first responders by illuminating the exterior of their most iconic buildings.

On behalf of BOMA New York, we are pleased to join the National Flag Foundation (NFF), BOMA International and over 30 other BOMA local associations across the United States in the upcoming National Flag Day Initiative on June 14th.  This nationwide effort will engage hundreds of buildings to Light Up the Night via patriotic red, white and blue lights and keep them lit throughout the weekend.

As part of the same initiative, we encourage all American citizens to fly a U.S. Flag the weekend of June 14th.  This year’s Flag Day will be a unique display of national unity and respect, as we remember those who have perished due to COVID-19, and honor the men and women who have served during the pandemic to keep America safe.

We’re asking our members to please light their buildings red, white and blue in support of this initiative.  Please send us your photos!

After a brief COVID-19-related hiatus, the City Council has resumed its business, holding virtual hearings and passing legislation.  Not surprisingly, one of the first orders of business was to introduce and hear a packet of bills purportedly aimed at helping individuals and businesses impacted by the pandemic.  Several of those bills are relevant to BOMA New York members.

With minimal consultation with all stakeholders, the Council passed two of the bills within weeks of introducing them. The first renders personal liability clauses in commercial leases unenforceable in certain circumstances.  The bill applies to bars, restaurants, and retail stores that were closed or had their business significantly reduced by Governor Cuomo’s Executive Orders 202.3, 202.6, and 202.7.  The bill applies to such personal liability clauses for the above establishments that would have gone into effect from March 7 to September 30 of 2020.

The second bill that passed expanded the definition of commercial tenant harassment to include actions related to “the commercial tenant’s status as a person or business impacted by COVID-19, or the commercial tenant’s receipt of a rent concession or forbearance for any rent owed during the COVID-19 period …” The bill applies to individuals who are directly or indirectly impacted by COVID-19, such as those diagnosed with the disease who had to stay home for some period, and those required to take care of family members who contracted the virus or had to care for children who’s schools had been closed. It also applies to businesses impacted by Governor Cuomo’s or Mayor de Blasio’s various Executive Orders or that had lost over half their revenue during a period of the pandemic.

Several other bills were introduced and heard but have not been passed as of yet.  BOMA New York has joined with a major coalition of for profit and not-for-profit trade associations and organizations to push back against these bills.

The first would require firings at businesses with over 100 employees to be “for cause.” The bill would allow those terminated to file lawsuits or enter arbitration proceedings under certain circumstances. The second would require essential businesses, as defined by the Governor’s Executive Order 202.6, to pay many non-salaried essential workers a specified supplemental wage. Both bills contain burdensome additional provisions related to their primary functions described above, such as record keeping and anti-harassment requirements.

These bills, though well-intentioned, have thus far been slowed by the fact that they would impose significant costs on businesses that have themselves been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, and simply do not have the resources to comply. It is too early to discern their exact state, and we will continue to work with our partners to get the best outcome possible.

May 14th
BOMA NY conducted an interactive webinar for the Emerging Leaders, to discuss COVID-19 and their recent experiences.  They discussed and answered questions on ways to prepare their buildings for re-occupancy and ensure the safety of their tenants.  The discussion was led by BOMA New York’s Preparedness Committee chair, Lou Trimboli, RXR Realty, along with Walter Ulmer III, Croker Risk Management, who spoke about potential challenges that may arise when associated with navigating the pandemic.  BOMA New York’s Officer, Patrick Dolan, of The Durst Organization, shared his own insight on how he plans to prepare 1WTC for when business resumes.  The webinar was a success and left the attendees with valuable information.

May 29th
The presentation walked through the updated rules for each of these local mandates and provide best practices on how to be compliant.  The webinar reviewed that owners of buildings of at least 25,000 square feet will have to submit an energy efficiency letter grade (Local Law 95/33), provided by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tool, and display that grade at the building’s entrance.  Local Law 97 is applicable to all buildings in NYC that are over 25,000 square feet and provides a straightforward limit on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a building can have.

June 4th
The information packed presentation about how to best manage energy consumption by managing the building enclosure was provided by Craig A. Hargrove, AIA, LEED AP – and Tai Mahmuti, PE, LEED Green Associate – from Hoffmann Architects.  The tag-team reviewed the NYC Energy Conservation Code and Climate Mobilization Act, followed by a deep dive on how to manage building enclosures, while illustrating air & water control on building exteriors, windows & fenestration, as well as thermal efficiency.

Congratulations to SL Green for winning the BOMA MAC Regional TOBY Award for:

11 Madison Avenue
Operating Office Building of the Year: Over 1M SF & Regional Grand  TOBY

Graybar Building
Historical Building of the Year

The TOBY is the most notable award in the CRE industry, rewarding buildings of excellence around the world.  Both of these exemplary buildings, managed by SL Green, will go on to compete at the BOMA International TOBY Awards, virtually broadcasted globally on July 9th.

BOMA New York is accepting nominations for the 2021  Pinnacle Awards. To compete in the Pinnacle Awards, the owner or management company of the nominated building must be a BOMA New York member in good standing.  All individuals competing for the Outstanding Local Member or Manager of the Year award must be a BOMA New York member of record in good standing.

We're proud to announce two new categories for the 2021 Pinnacle Awards:

> Security Professional
> Janitorial Professional

Please submit your nominations HERE.

The 2020 BOMI Calendar has transitioned to online courses.  We have a diverse set of classes, organized in multiple formats.  Please contact Becky Perez at becky@bomany.com for more information.

A new law regarding continuing education for real estate salespersons and brokers was recently adopted. The amendment changes the course requirements for renewal.  The amendment also REMOVES the 15-year real estate broker continuing education exemption.  To review the bill, please CLICK HERE.

The Home Depot offers BOMA members an exclusive annual rebate program. Receive a 2% annual rebate on all qualifying in-store and online pre-tax purchases, plus extra services and savings. There is no cost to enroll. Annual purchases must total a minimum of $25,000 to qualify for the rebate. So, what are you waiting for? Start earning money on your company’s Home Depot purchases now. Be sure to enter the program code BOMA when you register.  Learn how to get started in this video.  The 2020-2021 rebate year began March 1, 2020.  Click HERE to enroll.

Tuesday, June 16 at 3:30 pm ET
>> REGISTER 

June 16th – July 2nd
Two Evenings per Week for Three Weeks
>> REGISTER

June 25th – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Presented by Evolution Energy Partners, the presentation will explore energy saving opportunities across multiple operations that can define efficiencies, bottom line savings, and minimize the outlay of capital through creative financing.  Participants will learn how to save critical capital while decreasing operating costs; Review the energy market during COVID-19 and understand how to communicate sustainability goals as part of recovery; Discover what office users need to invest in to ensure the environment is safe for employees; and Discover options that can allow an organization to start low cost/no cost efficiency projects that drive direct impact to the bottom line.
>> REGISTER

July 7 – 9, 2020
The BOMA International Conference & Expo will be LIVE & ONLINE.  Please use the following link to register for the virtual conference, trade show and TOBY Award presentations.
>> REGISTER

July 16th – 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Presented by CRESA NEW YORK, Participants will find out about up-to-date research on the top concerns of businesses and how they are preparing to return to work; Receive an overview of Cresa’s integrated partnership for commercial space re-occupancy and wellness; Address key questions as guideposts for the path back to safe and healthy business operations; Review the coordination of responsibilities and processes between landlords and building occupiers for re-occupancy; and Learn how to deploy environmental testing and technology for workplace wellness monitoring and wellness certification programs.
>> REGISTER

August 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th – Every Wednesday
>> REGISTER

August 17th @ Edgewood Country Club
Game On!  The BOMA New York annual Golf Classic is scheduled and limited to 144 golfers.  The SWAG Bag is once again sponsored by Titan Construction LLC.  The Putting Contest is sponsored by Airlogix.  There are more sponsorship opportunities available and expected to sell out quickly.
>> Registration is Open 

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

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