Buildings Prepare for Re-Entry
Q2 2021
Strategies to Welcome Tenants Back Safely
As public health restrictions ease prepared? Take a look at “Getting and COVID-19 vaccinations are now Back to Work 3.0: Best Practices for widely available, BOMA San Francisco Managing Commercial Buildings building managers are making careful During COVID-19 Recovery,” recentplans for their tenants’ return to ly released by BOMA International, the workplace in greater numbers. accessible under the Coronavirus And associate members are providing Resource Center at www.boma.org. services from enhanced cleaning The report states: “A lot of uncerprocedures tainty remains to HVAC, about the electrical, severity and security, and duration of mechanical a resurgence upgrades. of the virus, “People tenant expecsay they miss tations for the office,” healthier and says BOMA safer workSan Francisco places, tenants CEO John space need Bryant. and the chal“With that in lenges (and Buildings in the Shorenstein portfolio have new measures in opportunities) mind, proplobbies including social distancing, signage and traffic flow erty manageof managing changes. Photo by Sam Shapiro, courtesy of Shorenstein. ment teams and occupyare working to ensure that buildings ing office buildings in a new postare healthy and ready for returning COVID reality. As a result, BOMA employees.” He added that it is likeInternational re-examined and updated ly that tenants will need more office its original guidance.” space due to social distancing needs. The two main areas of focus in the report are: health and safety for buildRe-Entry Resources for CRE ings personnel, tenants, visitors and One of the many benefits that contractors; and healthier and safer BOMA SF members enjoy is in-depth operations, systems and management reports and webinars from BOMA practices. International that are tailored to Also discussed are new opportucommercial real estate. nities for building owners to achieve Need a road-map for updating third-party certifications for your re-entry plans and staying (Continued on page 12)
Inside Views... n Member Profiles • Pages 8 and 9 n DEI Committee Expands Programs and Membership • Page 10 n Members on the Move • Page 14 n Creating the SF of the Future • Page 17 n BOMA SF Turns 110! • Page 19
Permits: What’s New? • Page 5
2 Optimism Returns to San Francisco by Kevin Whalen, LEED® GA, BOMA SF President, and Executive Vice President, JLL After a year of restricted closings and prescriptive uses on office occupancy in San Francisco, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel! The City has moved into the yellow tier, the final reopening stage of California’s four-tier system, indicating minimal risk and allowing more indoor business operations to resume. (Non-essential offices were permitted to reopen on March 24, when the orange tier was in effect.) While headline news of the state of the office market in San Francisco paints a long road ahead, green shoots are emerging that point to the City’s resiliency as an innovation hub and productivity center. Despite declining asking rents, record vacancy and a surplus of sublease availability, the region saw strong venture capital activity throughout Q1 2021. In fact, Bay Area venture capital activity exceeded $33B in the first quarter of the year which is more than half of all of 2020—the second highest year on record. Touring activity is also up as tenants begin to strategize about their footprint and future office needs to accommodate possible de-densification of previous headcount-heavy office builds. With tenants’ re-entry to existing leased space being a primary driver of further accelerating the market recovery, property managers and owners will play a critical role in San Francisco’s rebound. Tenants need to resume occupancy to test new utilization strategies, workplace designs and space configurations while learning how to manage employee shift rotations and hybrid work schedules. Managers and owners have implemented technologies and new standards across their properties to assist tenants in these efforts. A few measures are: enhancing air quality, fine-tuning cleaning programs, reducing contact with high-touch surfaces, and pursuing health and wellness initiatives such as Fitwell and WELL. It will be important to remain flexible to accommodate our tenants’ potentially rapidly changing need for space. BOMA members will be lending their expertise and generously sharing resources and materials, while keeping close tabs on the shifting regulatory environment and guidance from the CDC and ASHRAE. Work from home and changing office requirements are likely here to stay in some capacity. Yet we now know more than ever the importance of in-person meetings and opportunities for spontaneous collaboration — and how those interactions impact business success and employee mental health. Property managers and owners are partners to our tenants in achieving these outcomes, and we are ready to welcome them back. I hope to see you all out there very soon!
Thanks to Our 2021 Corporate Sponsors Platinum Sponsor
Able Services Gold Sponsors Hines Paramount Group, Inc. ProGuard Security Services Recology San Francisco Electrical Contractors Association Vornado Realty Trust
Silver Sponsors ABM Allied Universal CBRE Clune Construction CommonWealth Partners Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Hudson Pacific Properties Kilroy Realty Corporation McMillan Electric Metropolitan Electric Seagate Properties, Inc. Service by Medallion Unique Elevator Interiors LLC
Bronze Sponsors CBF Electric Clearway Energy, Inc. GSH Group JLL LAZ Parking RiverRock Real Estate Group Securitas Security Services, USA, Inc. Shorenstein Realty Services The Swig Company
Friends of BOMA Alliance Roofing Company Inc. Ascend Talent Solutions eWaste Direct Field Construction GP Pro, a Division of Georgia-Pacific McNevin-Bay Area Cleaning Specialists The Lawson Roofing Co. Inc. Transwestern Young Electric & Communications
Media Sponsors California Buildings News San Francisco Business Times The Registry For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tory Brubaker at toryb@BOMA.com
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5 Building Codes: Update on Permitting Processes Construction activity has continued throughout the pandemic and may be on the up-tick as contractors, architects and building managers prepare for increased occupancy and consider retrofits that ensure safe and healthy workplaces. BOMA members are eager to have projects move expeditiously through the City’s permitting and other processes. BOMA San Francisco’s Codes & Regulations Committee is at the forefront in sharing members’ concerns about permitting with the City’s Department of Building Inspection (DBI) and other relevant departments and providing input on our association and industry. (See Q&A below with DBI.) Codes & Regulations Committee Chair James Kilroy says there is a backlog of permit applications in the system that are waiting to be processed. BOMA members relied on convenient over-the-counter (OTC) permitting services at DBI prior to March 2020. Most procedures then moved online, with activities like plan checking done electronically. These revamped procedures sometimes delayed projects, as building professionals could not meet face-to-face with staff and get feedback and guidance right away. Codes committee members look forward to having OTC permitting live again. As restrictions are eased and tenants return, TI work will be needed, especially in lobbies and cafeterias, as well as mechanical upgrades. Data centers are also a growth area. The Codes & Regulations Committee’s mission is to provide members with information regarding codes, building permit procedures and policies. It is the primary committee connecting BOMA San Francisco with the San Francisco Building and Planning Departments, the Building Inspection Commission, the Access Appeals Commission, the City’s Code Advisory Committees, and other bodies representing building codes and code enforcement at the state and local level. If you’d like to participate in the committee’s activities, see the Get Involved section on the BOMA SF website or email James Kilroy at jkilroy@425marketst.com. And be sure to attend the annual Codes Seminar in the fall.
San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection provided an update for BOMA members. Q: BOMA members have experienced delays in the City’s permitting process during the pandemic. How can they work with DBI to expedite approval with SF for new permits and revisions to DBI existing permits? A: To comply with public health directives, DBI suspended in-person Over-the-Counter with plans service at the start of the Covid shutdown last March. Since then, we have relied on a drop-off system with staff, instead of the applicant, circulating the plans to the various permitting offices. This isn’t an ideal situation for anyone— not the customer, the contractor or our staff. The good news is that since May 10, DBI has expanded in-person service for people seeking “Over-the-Counter with plans” permits. Customers can schedule an appointment with DBI or drop in the same day to submit their permit application and personally circulate the plans to the various plan reviewers from DBI and other City permitting
Q&A
departments stationed at the Permit Center. This saves everyone a lot of time. There really is no substitute for meeting in-person with our Over-the-Counter customers to review their plans — this is how our Permit Center was always intended to operate. The expanded service gives greater control to the applicant and allows applicants to engage with plan reviewers, answer questions and address code issues directly instead of waiting for written comments.
As for how BOMA members can expedite the process, we strongly encourage customers to submit well-designed projects with plans that clearly adhere to state and local building codes and regulations. Plans that are missing information, feature elements that don’t appear to conform to code, or fail to include a required element will prevent or delay permit issuance. Applicants should consider engaging a design team well-versed in local building regulations, which can go beyond state regulations and often vary greatly between municipalities. (Continued on page 6)
6 Q&A with DBI
(Continued from page 5)
Q: When does DBI expect to resume live Over-theCounter appointments? A: We’ve already started! We have been welcoming in-person customers for a few weeks and will continue to expand our services in the coming weeks and months as the health directives allow.
and outdoor space-conditioning, water heating, cooking and clothes-drying systems. The ordinance also prohibits the installation of infrastructure, piping systems, or piping for distribution of natural gas, or propane—reflecting increasing evidence of the risks to human health and safety caused by natural gas and the growing risks from climate change. DBI has adopted Administrative Bulletin AB-112, providing detailed guidelines on how to implement these newly-passed All-Electric new construction regulations. “We have expanded DBI and the Department of Environour in-person service ment held webinars on the implemenand are working hard tation of the ordinance and will hold to process both new more in the future.
Q: There are a lot of permits in the pipeline now. And as the economy reopens, building professionals are planning tenant improvements and other projects. Will DBI be adding staff and expanding its hours? A: We have expanded our in-person service and are working hard to proprojects and those cess both new projects and those Q: Also at the seminar, DBI staff that are already in our system. We mentioned deadline extensions for that are already in are also making operational improvesoft-story retrofits and the Accessibility our system.” ments to better serve our customers Business Entry program. Any updates on these deadlines? as we transition to a full re-opening when the health directives allow for it. A: Property owners have until September 1, 2021 to obtain the building permits required to We have added several plan checkers to our make their business entrance fully accessible to persons team and continue to recruit for additional plan with disabilities. For more information about the program checkers to expand capacity and decrease wait times. In including building categories, exemptions and waivers, you addition, we’ve been encouraging plan checkers to work can find it here: Accessible Business Entrance Program. overtime to help us process more permits. As for the soft-story retrofit program, the completion Q: Are there plans to enhance the electronic plan review of work and issuance of final completion deadline was processes and any other technologies? extended to Sept. 1, 2021 for Compliance Tier 4 buildings, A: Yes! We expanded Electronic Plan Review (EPR) in early or any building containing ground floor commercial uses May to additional permit types and will continue to add (Building Code Occupancy B or M), or any building in a more permit types over the next few months. We are taking mapped liquefaction zone. For more information on that a phased approach to ensure the process works smoothly. program, please see: For Property Owners | Department of We are always looking to leverage technology to be more Building Inspection (sfdbi.org). efficient and effective. In March, 65% of all the permits we issued were issued online (trades permits and reroofing) or through Electronic Plan Review. We will soon be adding bathroom and kitchen remodel permits to the online system— and estimate that will happen in the next 2-3 months. Q: At the BOMA Codes & Regulations Seminar last fall, DBI reported on the all-electric new construction ordinance and applications for building permits for new building construction after June 1, 2021. Any updates to this development? A: Supervisor Rafael Mandelman‘s “All Electric” Ordinance requires all new buildings, residential and non-residential, that apply for initial building permits on or after June 1, 2021 to be all-electric. This applies to all indoor
Q: Are there other developments you would like to share with the BOMA community? A: It has been a long and trying year for all of us. We appreciate BOMA’s partnership and patience as we, and the entire city, continue to reopen. We were thrilled to begin the transition back to our efficient Over-the-Counter services and to expand electronic plan review for more permit types. We believe working with applicants in-person and ramping up our electronic plan review system provide a higher level of satisfaction both for our customers and employees. We are excited to provide BOMA members with that in-person experience once again and look forward to working together. z
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8 Principal Member Profile
Caroline Grafft, Senior Property Manager Hudson Pacific Properties
Overseeing three San Francisco assets — Rincon Center, 625 2nd Street and 275 Brannan — keeps Senior Property Manager Caroline Grafft busy and motivated. She describes her role at Hudson Pacific Properties: “I focus on executing our business plans, which includes partnering with our leasing and construction departments. I also focus on professional development within our team.” A second-generation CRE professional, Grafft reflects on some recent positive lessons. “I think we can learn a lot from the past year. Real estate has historically been a face-to-face industry. With technology and the change in tenant make-up, working remote is a natural progression,” she says. “Many of our tenant contacts oversee multiple offices and often are not physically on site. Technology allows for synchronized workflows, and I have seen an Grafft at Rincon Center, increase in our productivity.” which she manages. “We talk to our tenants more because it’s convenient to jump on a Zoom or Teams call,” she adds. “Tenant relations will always be about building relationship based on trust. If you are checking in regularly and providing clear and timely communication, tenants will trust you. We will always need to be at the properties, but it won’t be like it was before. Flexible working isn’t going away, and companies have an opportunity to remain flexible as we reintegrate back to the office. I believe those who remain flexible and place a high value on work-life balance will attract better talent and have higher retention rates over the next 5-10 years.” Recently Grafft spearheaded the BOMA SF Book Club launch. “Professional development has always been important to me, and the book club is a way to do that collaboratively across the industry,” she says. “I hope that leaders from all different levels will gather to discuss the best practices for leadership. We have a lot to learn from our industry veterans, and I am excited for the next generation of leaders to push the envelope and make the CRE industry an even better place to work.” When she’s not at one of her buildings, you can find Grafft walking around the East Bay to hit 10,000 steps a day, recording an episode for her podcast, “Conversations with Caroline,” or leading a group at her church.
9
Thank you to the essential workers that have kept us safe.
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Associate Member Profile
Tom Arnold, CEO, Gridium
Self-described environmental entrepreneur Tom Arnold, CEO of Gridium, says he “stays focused on ‘doing well by doing good.’ Entrepreneurship is always hard, but I try to find problems to work on where the pursuit of building the business produces benefits for the environment and the world. That’s very motivating to me and the staff of Gridium. As an example, our partnership with building customers is on track to reduce 80,000 metric tons of CO2 this year.” Gridium’s software helps customers reduce operational expenses, and its financing and project development team helps improve a building’s equipment without touching the budget. “That’s pretty attractive, as we have the dual pressures of COVID costs concerns and a real acceleration of sustainability demands from tenants and capital investors,” Arnold explains. Many BOMA members rely on the company’s expertise in energy management, building operations and sustainability. In his role leading Gridium, Arnold spends as much time as he can with customers. Arnold enjoyed a 500-mile “This is a unique time in our industry, and sometimes customers need a sounding board bike trip in Mongolia. on energy strategy, or a specific energy question that is difficult to answer. I also ensure that the financing facilities are running smoothly so we can offer zero capital expenditure upgrades to our customers,” he adds. Arnold lends his environmental knowledge to his service as vice chair of the BOMA SF Energy & Environment Committee. “Our chair, Ana Duffy, and I are focused on San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan, which will set the next set of regulations to meet the City’s greenhouse gas goals. BOMA members have led the nation in sustainability, so there are ample shared goals, but also some concerns about the feasibility and time-lines of eliminating natural gas in our buildings.” To escape, he loves camping with his family and bike-packing long distances. In 2019 he rode a 500-mile loop around northern Mongolia and this summer looks forward to riding 800 miles from Montana to the Colorado border.
10 DEI Committee: Events, Contests, New Members EQUITY
Great synergy, membership growth, social media visibility and creative programs are emanating from BOMA San Francisco’s newest committee — the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. “We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and commitment of our growing committee,” said Kat Mendoza, who recently took over as DEI Committee Chair. “We now have more than 40 members and continue to attract new members who have exciting ideas to contribute.” More than 45 attendees Zoomed into the latest meeting, including BOMA SF CEO John Bryant and BOMA SF President Kevin Whalen. One recent committee activity was creating designs for the BOMA SF COVID mask competition. A number of DEI work groups participated, and
the BOMA Board selected the “Stronger Together” design from the Liaison Work Group as the winner. Committee events in the works are an awareness event in June with the Emerging Professionals, and a job fair in collaboration with the Education Committee. “There are a lot of collaboration opportunities for the DEI work groups and other BOMA SF committees right now. These are just a few, and we look forward to working with everyone,” said Mendoza. DEI Committee work groups include: careers, education, community outreach, social media, events and liaison. Community outreach efforts include aligning with the Asian American Heritage Month to support Asian communities and reaching out to LGBTQ groups to focus on Pride events in June. If you’d like to learn more about the work (and fun!) of the DEI committee, see the “Get Involved” section of the BOMA SF website.
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11 T H E V A L UE OF BOM A M EM B ER S H IP
ADVOCACY. EDUCATION. NETWORKING. At BOMA SF, our mission is to advance the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, professional development and information exchange. We’re here to help you navigate the latest industry updates, public health guidelines and government regulations relating to the pandemic, the current business climate and beyond. We continue to facilitate premier opportunities for government advocacy, relationship building, and information sharing for our association members and industry partners.
ADVOCACY
PROTECTS PROPERTY RIGHTS Advocacy at all levels of government to protect property rights, preserve asset value and keep operating costs down.
EDUCATION
ADVANCES YOUR CAREER Providing necessary and relevant education opportunities to help advance your career.
NETWORKING BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS Providing virtual and in-person opportunities to build your professional network and make meaningful connections.
BOMA San Francisco Supports Racial Equity and Strives to Bring Greater Diversity to its Membership and the Industry We Represent.
12 Re-Entry Strategies (Continued from front page)
implementing operational practices that aim to reduce the spread of the virus. These include: LEED Safety First Pilot credits from the USGBC, the expansion of the Fitwel certification, and the Well Health Safety Rating program for facility operations and management from the International Well Building Institute. According to the BOMA report, “Adopting these new programs and evidencing participation may help mitigate buildings occupants’ concerns about health and safety and serve as a valuable tenant recruitment and retention strategy in the future.”
“In San Francisco, as well as across the country, Shorenstein responded to the pandemic quickly and decisively at our properties,” said Bill Whitfield, General Manager/Sustainability Manager, Shorenstein Realty Services L.P. “With a focus on health and wellness, we wanted to assure tenants felt safe coming to their offices. By implementing a variety of policies and procedures, we met — and often exceeded — all local, county and state guidelines.” Shorenstein produced a “Returning to Your Workspace” brochure for tenants that outlines new measures pertaining to BOMA SF Buildings elevators, lobbies, restroom, Implement New Measures construction, signage, social Always on the cutting edge, distancing and technology. BOMA member buildings “By focusing on sanitation, have been engaged in crafting building procedures, availabilre-entry plans that take into ity of resources, air and water account the latest public health quality management and guidelines and address tenants’ Social distancing measures may include rearranging furniture, tenant engagement and concerns. reduced capacity and staggered shifts. Photo: Getty Images. communication we made a noticeable and beneficial impact on everyone entering our buildings,” Whitfield added. “Our efforts were recognized by the WELL Building CENTER HARDWARE Institute with a portfolio-wide certification validating the Commercial & Industrial Supply improvements and efforts. We are ready for the return of those who have not been into the office for a while and Welcome back! We’ve missed you. confident they will feel comfortable when they arrive.” Prepare for reopening using the most efficient tools Rockhill Management, LLC Vice President Christine and supplies. Our massive inventory offers a full Mann says of the firm’s assets: “Our buildings have range of products with competitive pricing. remained open throughout the pandemic, and we intend to • San Francisco’s leading industrial maintain several COVID-related best practices, including supplier for MRO and BOMA teams • Updated B2B online account enhanced cleaning protocols, improved air filtration where management possible, and additional wellness programming, as we see • Only full-line Milwaukee, STIHL, our tenants using their spaces with higher volume and Makita, Bosch, and Festool dealer in San Francisco frequency. We have started to re-open our fitness and • Free delivery & parking amenity centers as city and county guidelines permit, and continue to endorse social distancing and adherence to Contact our sales department for B2B and volume pricing or other safety protocols.” special and custom orders. Mann added: “We have been in regular communication sales@centerhardware.com with our tenants throughout the pandemic, and connected specifically in the first quarter of 2021 regarding tenant re-occupancy plans. While it is too soon to draw any broad conclusions, we are seeing an uptick in both intent
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(Continued on page 13)
13
Re-Entry Strategies (Continued from page 12)
and physical occupancy as vaccination rates increase in our tenant populations.” The Kilroy Realty team at 100 First Street, which recently won a Bay Area and Pacific Southwest Regional TOBY, partnered with Underwriters Laboratories to verify that the building successfully implemented Kilroy’s pandemic response and preparedness safety measures to help mitigate virus transmission. All building systems and procedures were reviewed and the team made significant investments in building upgrades to strengthen operational and janitorial procedures. In addition, 100 First earned the WELL Health Safety Rating, an evidence-based, third-party verified rating focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, occupant engagement, and emergency plans that help users confidently prepare their spaces for re-entry in a post-COVID environment and into the future. Through these measures, the Kilroy team hopes to demonstrate their commitment to safely welcoming their tenants back to 100 First when they’re ready.
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14 BOMA San Francisco Members on the Move Bob Briones retired from his position as Regional Manager for Able Services at the end of April. As a leader in the industry, his tenure with Able was greatly respected and appreciated. Bob worked in the engineering field for more than 40 years and supported and managed various engineering teams in the Bay Area over the last two decades. A Marin native, he had a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy, enlisting right out of high school. Following his naval career, he was a Stationary Engineer at the UCSF Parnassus Power plant before moving from the field into management as ABM District Manager and Branch Manager from 2000–2010. Bob joined the Able team as an Engineering Manager and Regional Manager from 2010 until his retirement this year. He leaves behind many achievements and a strong reputation in the industry.
Erik Carlson was promoted to Regional Engineering Manager, Northern California for Able Services. He joined Able as an Apprentice Engineer 12 years ago, building a solid foundation for his career at Able. Upon graduating from the four-year apprenticeship program, Erik moved up through the ranks and obtained his building retro-commissioning certificate, was instrumental in the LEED Gold Certification achieved at Post Montgomery Center and managed preventive maintenance programs. In 2013 Erik joined Able’s corporate engineering management team as an Engineering Manager in Northern California, providing engineering expertise to the high-rise office, finance, technology and hospitality industries. Erik chairs the BOMA SF Events Committee and engages in advocacy programs for the real estate industry and engineering. He has taken the lead for Able during the annual San Francisco Fire Department Holiday Toy Drive. Erik was named by BOMA SF 2020 Associate Member of the Year.
Colliers International congratulated Property Manager Karen Compagno upon her retirement, following 30 years in property management. She was with Colliers since 1998 and prior to that worked at Cushman & Wakefield for more than eight years. Karen plans to travel and catch up with her family.
BOMA member company Interstate Restoration is now officially First Onsite. Sonia Fuetsch is Account Manager Business Development Executive for the company.
McMillan Electric’s CEO, Bill Musgrave, was presented with ESGR’s Patriot Award from the office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve) is a program that recognizes the unique talents and skill set guard and reserve service members can bring to the civilian workforce. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made by McMillan Electric to support our military and veterans through a wide range of measures including re-entry into the workforce, training, flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed. One McMillan Electric mission is to help provide jobs in construction safety management where veterans can grow into new positions while utilizing their military training in safety, leadership and logistics not only at McMillan Electric but throughout the industry. (Continued on page 15)
15 Q&A with Scott O. Jones, PE – 2021 BOMA Fellow Congratulations to BOMA SF member, Scott O. Jones of Jacobs, who was recently named a BOMA Fellow by BOMA International. He shared some thoughts with us. Q: What has your BOMA journey been? What prompted you to first get involved in the association? A: My BOMA journey has been an amazing ride! I was fortunate to have a mentor that encouraged me to get involved in BOMA early in my career. I jumped in to support some education efforts and the rest grew from there. That little bit of extra time teaching a few classes pulled me forward to the board of directors, to local President, to BOMA International committees, to Chairman and now a BOMA Fellow. I would encourage all of our members to jump right in (like I did) and start on a committee to support something they are interested in… it is amazing the people you will meet, the things you learn and places it can take you next. Q: You were most recently Chair of BOMA International, serving in the position in 2019. What were some highlights of your experience? A: As we shifted our focus to helping our industry respond to the early days of the pandemic, it was amazing to see how everyone came together to share information on what worked, what didn’t, and other experiences that shaped many of our behaviors in the early days of the pandemic. Our Executive Committee, BAE’s
Members on the Move
and BOMA International Senior Staff started to communicate constantly, working hard to push information, publish position papers and change plans for all the impacts taking place. I am still in awe, and am so proud, of how the entire organization supported each other during this most difficult time. Q: What do you most look forward to in your role as a BOMA Fellow? How will you lend your expertise to our own local BOMA? A: I am truly honored and humbled to have been named a BOMA Fellow. Being able to continue to support this great organization is wonderful. I will certainly be available to support locally, regionally and internationally as called upon and really look forward to mentoring the next generation of talent coming up. My goal out of the gate will be to support our industry as we continue the difficult work of reopening fully. Locally, I am very excited about supporting John Bryant and helping him to be successful here in San Francisco. He is a great leader and look forward to working with him!
(Continued from page 14)
Christine Mann, RPA & LEED GA, has embarked on a new position as Vice President for Rockhill Management, LLC. In this new role, Christine will be overseeing Rockhill’s West Coast operations which is comprised of 3 million square feet of assets in the Bay Area and Southern California. She was previously the Portfolio Manager for Paramount Group, Inc., overseeing their assets in San Francisco. Christine was most recently BOMA San Francisco’s President and continues to remain as President for the Downtown Community Benefit District. As past president for BOMA SF, she is also the Board’s liaison for the newly formed DEI Committee.
Tiffany Yeh was named Assistant Property Manager for Cushman & Wakefield, where she now manages three properties: 505 Howard Street, and 153 Townsend in San Francisco and 5588 Cushing Parkway in Fremont. Formerly a Property Administrator for JLL, she is a graduate of the CREATE Fellows Program. Tiffany is active on the BOMA SF DEI and Emerging Professionals committees.
Send personnel changes or news for Members on the Move to Tory Brubaker at toryb@BOMA.com.
16
STILL BUILDING
For our members, for our industry, for our communities.
The Carpenters Union works with signatory construction, mill-cabinet and installation contractors to keep our jobs safe and to keep our industry moving forward. Joaquin Galindo, Eriberto Bolanos and (below) Dan Foley, members of the Carpenters Mill-Cabinet Local 2236, build custom cabinets and fixtures at USA Millwork-Mission Bell in Morgan Hill.
www.NCCRC.org facebook.com/NCCRC www.CTCNC.org
17 Creating the San Francisco of the Future by David Harrison, BOMA SF Manager of Government and Public Affairs
The last year challenged our industry, and BOMA’s members have stepped up to the plate. Our members have remained steadfast in our commitment to our tenants, employees and the public. The vast majority of buildings have never closed, and property owners and managers have continued operations during uncertain times to maintain safe buildings and assure the continuance of essential services. The light at the end of the tunnel is now getting brighter, and we must turn our focus to downtown San Francisco’s recovery. As the City progresses towards “normalcy,” engagement from BOMA and our members is more important than ever. City leaders are facing many make-or-break decisions that will shape the future of our city. BOMA is working hard to strengthen relationships with city officials and provide pertinent political and policy analysis, ensuring that our members have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made. Below is a roundup of issues we are watching.
Public Health As we adjust to a new normal with vaccines, we also recognize the unknowns presented by the virus. We have learned that people must not only be safe within our buildings, but feel safe too. BOMA is closely tracking public health guidelines and legislation such as mandatory sanitation practices and interim ventilation practices to ensure that any requirements enforced for public health purposes aren’t accompanied by cumbersome economic and environmental burdens on buildings’ owners, management and tenants. Although we’ll continue promoting safety, we must ensure that any requirements effectively advance public health priorities and that the cost of such requirements don’t outweigh the benefits.
Street Conditions San Francisco is a city that leads with compassion, but a robust downtown recovery requires that building management and tenants feel safe going back to work. BOMA is working to support practical, sustainable solutions that address crime, safety and homelessness with both compassion and accountability.
Transportation The ability and willingness to commute will be a top factor that determines the future of downtown. BOMA is advocating for sensible policies that expand our goals of clean, reliable and safe public transit while advocating against proposals such as the SFCTA’s (San Francisco County Transportation Authority) congestion pricing plan that would disincentivize business downtown.
Maintaining a Workable Business Climate We know that our members aren’t opposed to paying their fair share. The commercial real industry
in San Francisco has done that and then some! BOMA SF is making the case that for San Francisco to recover, the costs of doing business in this City cannot increase any higher than they already are. We’re also pushing the City to partner with the business community to keep companies that may be reducing their footprint in the City. Stay tuned for more government affairs updates, and feel free to reach David Harrison, Manager of Government and Public Affairs, at davidh@boma.com.
18 BOMA SF Members Advance to International TOBY Competition
BOMA
SAN FRANCISCO
EMERGING PROFESSIONALS
Congratulations to these three San Francisco winners of the BOMA Bay Area TOBY awards, who advanced to become Regional TOBY Winners in the Pacific Southwest region: 333 Bush Street | Tishman Speyer 500,000 – 1 million Sq. Ft. category 100 First Street | Kilroy Realty 250,000 – 499,999 Sq. Ft. category The Exchange at Larkspur Landing | Jamestown Urban Management/Jamestown, LP Office Park (Low-Rise) category All three of our winners now advance to the International TOBY competition. The TOBY International winners will be announced during the TOBY gala at the annual BOMA International Conference in October.
Best of luck to these outstanding building teams!
Emerging Professionals Corner
Programs and networking opportunities for BOMA Emerging Professionals (EPs) are going strong, with a number of fun and educational events in the works, including a Career Success Workshop on Tenant Improvements, sponsored by Peacock Construction. Recently, EP launched an educational series called “Real Estate Talk.” The first talk with Tom and Nancy Gille of REAL Systems discussed “How to Be Successful in Commercial Real Estate.” The Gilles shared important tips for climbing the CRE ladder. Thanks to Urban Waterproofing for sponsoring. A BOMA Games event is planned for June 3, with at-home mini games with everyday household items. Emerging Professionals Committee is for members with 0-7 years of industry experience. To learn more, email agardner@peacockconstruction.com or visit www.bomasf.org (under “Get Involved”).
CREATE Fellows Secure Jobs with Local CRE Employers This spring seven CREATE Fellows who also participated in the Mentor Matchup — a program managed by BOMA SF’s Careers Committee that matches students with industry mentors—secured full-time employment with local CRE employers. Hiring companies include Cushman & Wakefield, CBRE and Rockhill Management. Free Job & Internship Posting Portal at www.createworkforce.org
CREATE hosts a free job and internship portal at www.createworkforce.org. Employers can post both entry-level positions and internships free of charge and view résumés. CREATE Fellows alumni, current Fellows and interested students outside SFSU and Merritt College are encouraged to upload their résumés. We encourage employers to host an intern, this summer or during the school year. It is a great way to test talent and perhaps tap into a future hire. Check out the Internship Host Guidelines provided which give an overview of how to successfully structure this learning experience.
The Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow’s Employees (CREATE) is a collaborative effort by leading commercial real estate companies and service firms to address the industry’s growing workforce challenges throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. CREATE identifies, educates, and recruits talent for commercial real estate so that employers have a diverse pipeline of job-ready candidates for their entry-level positions. At the core of this effort are the training programs CREATE underwrites at SF State and Merritt College. CREATE provides funding and support for college-level instruction, job shadowing and internship opportunities relevant to employers, to meet the hiring needs of building owners, investors, operators, and service firms.
19 BOMA San Francisco Celebrates Our 110th Anniversary This year marks the 110th anniversary of BOMA’s founding in 1911. For more than a century, BOMA has been helping our members safely navigate all sorts of adversities. Shown below is an ad from States Restaurant from 1918/1919, touting its flu precautions and masked employees. The restaurant was on the ground floor of the Pacific Building at the same time that BOMA had opened its offices in the building. So, during the Spanish Flu Epidemic, the staff of BOMA had a safe place to eat while continuing its work. BOMA San Francisco... helping our members stay safe for 110 years!
A man in San Francisco poses for a photograph while wearing an influenza mask during the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic. Credit: OpenSFHistory/wnp26.1205.jpg
About BOMA VIEWS BOMA Views is published quarterly by BOMA San Francisco Associate Publisher: Tory Brubaker Editor: Henry Eason Managing Editor/Ad Director: Ellen Eason, Eason Communications LLC For advertising information, contact Ellen Eason at 415.596.9466 or ellen@easoncom.com Copyright ©2021 BOMA San Francisco. The publisher assumes no liability for opinions expressed in editorial contributions to the publication or third-party quotations within articles. The publication is not responsible for claims in advertising. Printed in the U.S.A.
In Memoriam The BOMA SF community was sorry to learn that a beloved member of the ABM family passed away. Charles “Charlie” Booth was a key figure in the development and success of the ABM Engineering/Facilities Services business line. He set the foundation for engineering services and paved the way for many to follow. In recent years, which Charlie would jokingly call his “semi-retirement years,” he served as a consultant/mentor to ABM and its district managers. Using his experience and established relationships with the Local 39 Union, engineers and customers alike, he continued to support and promote the success of ABM.
BOMA San Francisco 233 Sansome Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104-2134
415.362.8567 www.bomasf.org
Printed on recycled paper.
Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee in a hearing reviewing the economic impact of vacant office buildings in downtown San Francisco. BOMA was one of just two business associations invited to testify alongside City representatives from the Office of the Controller, the Office of Small Business, the Office of Economic and Workforce by BOMA SF CEO John Bryant Development, and the Department of Public Health. In my testimony, I reviewed the current trends for San The future for office in downtown San Francisco remains Francisco commercial real estate—including a high vacanstrong, but there is no denying the dramatic impact cy rate with unprecedented levels of sublease space availCOVID-19 has had on the commercial real estate industry. able—while projecting confidence that the industry would Ground-floor vacancies are sadly a common sight throughbegin to see a rebound as vaccinations continue to increase out the city, dominated by retail and restaurant business and in-person learning and childcare options resume. closures, with many others struggling to I also highlighted commercial real estate’s stay in business. The simple CRE proposicontribution to the economy—specif“Commercial real estate in tion that buildings are only as profitable ically that commercial real estate in San Francisco contributes as their tenants, remains poignantly San Francisco contributes more than $6 more than $6 billion annually truthful today as it ever did. billion annually to California’s economy to California’s economy...” During the pandemic, BOMA while supporting more than 40,000 jobs. San Francisco worked alongside BOMA I closed by warning the supervisors that Inter-national to produce updated and relevant any further increase to the cost of doing business in San information, ranging from building re-entry procedures Francisco would significantly hinder the recovery. Further, to emergency evacuation guidance, and city and state that legislators will finally need to address quality-of-life health requirements. The combined expertise and concerns such as crime, homelessness, and transportation guidance of our membership have shown effectiveness reliability before a full economic recovery can occur. of our industry, even amidst uncertainty. Those issues existed long before COVID-19 and have held Occupancy rates for offices are starting to increase and back our city’s true potential for years. If we are to see a state and city officials are planning on a full re-opening true recovery, addressing our city’s needs outside of COVID in June, well over a year after our first shutdown. The will be equally important. BOMA will continue to do our increase in vaccine distribution is creating a swell of part and work with our business partners and elected optimism, but for the economy to truly rebound, there leaders to find solutions that will encourage the full are other issues outside of COVID that also need to be economic recovery of our industry, small business, and addressed. the city of San Francisco. As we have shown during COVID, Recently, I was asked to testify in front of the Board of when we work together, we can make a difference.
The Last Word: CRE Pulls Together
John Bryant is the Chief Executive Officer of BOMA San Francisco. You may reach him at jbryant@boma.com.
