Building Operations
5 Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Parking Garage
5 Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Parking Garage By Kyle Stanish, PhD, SE, PE, Klein & Hoffman As the long-awaited spring weather begins to enter our forecast, so too does another often loathed thought – spring cleaning. While usually reserved for our homes, this annual tradition should extend to our parking structures throughout the city…
Read MoreLeave the Lights Out for Birds!
Leave the Lights Out for Birds! By Annette Price, Chicago Collision Bird Monitors Chicago building managers and owners can take pride in participating in the nation’s most successful light reduction program for migratory birds. Lights Out! Chicago asks buildings to turn off or dim bright antenna, rooftop and display lights from 11 pm to sunrise every spring…
Read MoreSubscribe to Emergency Notification Systems
Subscribe to Emergency Notification Systems March 22, 2018 Building members should subscribe directly to emergency notification alert systems to receive the most timely and accurate information. While BOMA/Chicago may also email building members regarding emergency situations, our email communications serve as a secondary source of information; the information is derived from official sources such…
Read MoreENERGY STAR Scores for Most Office Buildings Will Fall in 2018
ENERGY STAR Scores for Most Office Buildings Will Fall in 2018 By Dan Bailey, Sieben Energy Associates ENERGY STAR scores for most if not all office buildings will decrease as early as August 2018 due to recalibration. Current scores for office buildings will drop by an average of 8 points. The U.S. EPA broke this news at the ENERGY STAR…
Read MoreComEd Smart Ideas Representatives update BOMA/Chicago Energy Committee about Waitlist
ComEd Smart Ideas Representatives update BOMA/Chicago Energy Committee about Waitlist January 10, 2018 BOMA/Chicago’s Energy Committee met with representatives from ComEd to clarify questions about the Smart Ideas waitlist. In July, ComEdannounced that all projects applying for Smart Ideas® Standard or Custom incentives will be placed on a waitlist, due to the high volume…
Read MoreCity Council Passes Benchmarking Amendments
City Council Passes Benchmarking Amendments December 13, 2017 The City Council voted 48-2 in favor of amendments to the Chicago Benchmarking Ordinance that will create a zero-to-four-star rating system for benchmarked buildings. The amendment will also require conspicuous posting of the rating. BOMA/Chicago opposed the creation of a rating system arguing that the US…
Read MoreBOMA/Chicago Releases 2017 Economic Impact Study
BOMA/Chicago Releases 2017 Economic Impact Study November 27, 2017 BOMA/Chicago commissioned JLL to conduct a research study analyzing the economic impact of our building members. This study was conducted to better understand our members’ economic value to the City of Chicago, as well as glean critical information on the state of Chicago’s commercial real…
Read MoreCFD’s Emergency Medical Service Bicycle Teams
CFD’s Emergency Medical Service Bicycle Teams November 1, 2017 Medical emergencies are one of the most common crises that building operators will experience. Well trained staff members are taught to meet the Chicago Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services responders in the lobby and to escort them to the incident floor. An EMS response to…
Read MoreHow BOMA 2017 Can Change Your Building’s Rentable Square Footage (RSF)
How BOMA 2017 Can Change Your Building’s Rentable Square Footage (RSF) By Bob Ladner, John Kuczura, Veronica Avila, Meredith Bass at SDI Presence Last week, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International released its new office measurement standard: BOMA 2017 For Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1-2017). Last updated in 2010, this BOMA methodology…
Read MoreNextGrid Takes Center Stage
NextGrid Takes Center Stage October 9, 2017 The passage of last year’s Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) led to the creation of NextGrid, an 18-month, collaborative study initiated by the Illinois Commerce Commission to help define the “utility of the future” in Illinois in response to technological, market, and regulatory changes. Utilities, regulators, environmental…
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