Building Operations
Chicago Passes New Electrical Code
Chicago Passes New Electrical Code September 15, 2017 With BOMA/Chicago’s support, the Chicago City Council has passed a major update to the Chicago Electrical Code. Â The new code will make Chicago one of the first major cities to align with the 2017 National Electrical Code. The update will remove existing obstacles to employing state…
Read MoreAldermen Introduce New Street Performers Ordinance
Aldermen Introduce New Street Performers Ordinance September 11, 2017 In February, Aldermen Brenden Reilly of the 42nd Ward and Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward, introduced a proposal to amend the street performer ordinance to extend protections to local residents and businesses. The aldermen receive thousands of complaints about excessive noise from residents and…
Read MoreUpdated Chicago Disability Rights Regulations Affect New and Existing Buildings
Updated Chicago Disability Rights Regulations Affect New and Existing Buildings By Leah Riley, Senior Code Consultant, Burnham Nationwide and member BOMA/Chicago Codes Committee Chicago adopted new disability rights regulations governing accessibility that went into effect on July 1, 2017. Promulgated pursuant to the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance to provide greater clarity and alignment with federal…
Read MoreRecent Exelon/ComEd Legislation Subject of Two Court Challenges
Recent Exelon/ComEd Legislation Subject of Two Court Challenges June 1, 2017 Two lawsuits have been filed as a result of state legislation passed in December of 2016. Illinois Public Act 099-0906, became law with the passage of Senate Bill 2814 after intense lobbying by Exelon and ComEd as a means to bailout two underperforming…
Read MorePreparedness Committee Open Meeting: Recap & Presentation Materials
Preparedness Committee Open Meeting: Recap & Presentation Materials May 16, 2017 Dealing with the Most Common Building Emergencies Over the years, the BOMA/Chicago Preparedness Committee (formerly the Security Committee) has presented informative and educational sessions on, terrorism, active shooters, weather emergencies and other major man-made or natural disasters. But on Tuesday, May 16, the…
Read MoreOffice Buildings Lead In Reducing City’s Energy Usage According to Benchmarking Report
Office Buildings Lead In Reducing City’s Energy Usage According to Benchmarking Report May 8, 2017 With three years of reporting energy benchmarking now in the books, commercial office buildings in the City of Chicago continue to be leading performers in reducing carbon emissions. The median Energy Star score for office buildings rose from 74…
Read MoreBOMA Fights to Save EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program
BOMA Fights to Save EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program April 4, 2017 The Fiscal Year 2018 budget recently proposed by President Trump includes dramatic cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency. Most notable for the real estate industry is the demise of the ENERGY STAR program. The elimination of ENERGY STAR, which includes the popular Portfolio…
Read MoreBuilding Code Initiative Advances
Building Code Initiative Advances March 29, 2017 The Chicago Building Code in its present form is extremely outdated. Most of the life safety chapters have not seen a major revision since the revised Building Ordinance passed the City Council on December 30, 1949. An updating of the Chicago Building Code was actually sanctioned in…
Read MoreChicago Building Commissioner Meets with BOMA/Chicago
Chicago Building Commissioner Meets with BOMA/Chicago March 15, 2017 Chicago Building Commissioner Judith Frydland met with the BOMA/Chicago Codes Committee on March 23 to discuss a number of initiatives underway at the Department of Buildings that will streamline and modernize much of the Department’s permitting and inspection work. Streaming and Modernization Noting a 15%…
Read MoreCity Council Passes Mayor’s Water and Sewer Tax
City Council Passes Mayor’s Water and Sewer Tax February 7, 2017 On September 14, the City Council overwhelmingly passed the water and sewer tax proposed by Mayor Emanuel to shore up the largest of the City’s pension fund. The tax begins in 2017 and increases every year until 2020. Currently, sewer charges equal water…
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