BOMA San Francisco Government Affairs & Industry News for Commercial Real Estate Professionals

Bay Bridge Westbound Deck Closure - President's Day Weekend

2012-02-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Our friends at the Transportation Management Association of San Francisco (TMASF) have alerted us to the Bay Bridge Westbound Deck Closure on President's Day Weekend. Please click here for information on how to prepare accordingly.

Motorists will not be able to drive on the upper deck towards San Francisco during this closure but the lower deck toward the East Bay will remain open. Motorists have numerous alternatives for getting to San Francisco and for traveling around the Bay Area while the upper deck of the Bay Bridge is closed during Presidents’ Day weekend. Motorists should allow extra time for travel and use of other bridges, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge and the Dumbarton Bridge. Vehicle access between San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island/Treasure Island will be maintained during the closure.

For updates on other transit options, including ferries, BART and AC Transit, be sure to visit 511.org or call 511 for real-time traffic conditions. Check back often for the latest updates.

UPDATE: BOMA Bay Area 2012 EARTH Award Application DUE on February 10, 2012

2012-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco and BOMA Oakland East Bay Members:

UPDATE - February 8, 2012

Friday, February 10 is the deadline day to submit your building into the BOMA Bay Area Earth Awards competition. Click here to download the application and complete and return it by Friday (5:00 p.m.) to Wendy de Lara, at the BOMA San Francisco office. We encourage our member vendors to support their clients with the application process.

The BOMA Bay Area EARTH Awards is the premier event for BOMA members to showcase leadership on sustainable operating practices and have their properties recognized for their energy and water conservation efforts, recycling, and other sustainable practices. The winners will be announced at the April 16, 2012 EARTH Awards luncheon at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.

If you have ANY questions, please feel free to contact the leadership of the BOMA San Francisco Energy and Environment Committee: Zachary Brown Zachary.Brown@cbre.com, or Laurie Rummelhart, lrummelhart@swigco.com.

Don't delay! Get that BOMA Bay Area EARTH Awards application in today!

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UPDATE - January 13, 2012

The BOMA San Francisco Energy & Environment Committee held a BOMA Bay Area Earth Award workshop at the Transamerica Pyramid today. It was an informative session that was well attended by BOMA Oakland/East Bay and BOMA San Francisco building members.

Thank you to our volunteer BOMA member speakers who helped guide attendees through the entire Earth Award application.

Please be sure to submit your BOMA Bay Area Earth Award application TODAY! The deadline is February 10, 2012.

Click here to submit your building in the contest!

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UPDATE - January 4, 2012

A brown bag lunch session will be presented by the BOMA San Francisco Energy & Environment Committee to guide member building owners and managers through the 2012 EARTH Awards application process.

If you'd like to attend, please contact John Bozeman at (415) 686-9652 at johnb@boma.com.

The free workshop will be held at The Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery Street, 48th Floor, San Francisco, CA from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on January 13, 2012. BOMA San Francisco and East Bay members may register and stop-by at any point during this time frame for hands-on assistance with their application.

Individuals from various organizations and vendors will be on-hand to provide resources and answer questions regarding the sustainable practices measured by the 2012 EARTH Award Application: Landfill Waste & Diversion, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Hazardous Materials, Purchasing, Transportation, and Tenant Education. The EARTH Award Application is due Friday, February 10, 2012.

Click here to submit your building in the contest!

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Original Post - November 2, 2011

The 2012 BOMA Bay Area EARTH Award Application is now available. Click here to submit your building in the contest! The application deadline is February 10, 2012.

The BOMA Bay Area EARTH Award recognizes member buildings that utilize the most comprehensive resource management programs, including commercial recycling programs, energy and water conservation efforts, air quality and toxics reduction programs, support for public transportation, and effective use of tenant education programs geared to promoting sustainability practices in commercial office buildings. The EARTH Award program is an opportunity for BOMA Bay Area members to consider the entire spectrum of programs and practices that constitute an effective 'sustainability program' for office buildings including what policies and procedures should be adopted that can help move a property toward becoming 'green'.

Please click here to review the 2011 BOMA Bay Area Earth Award Winners

If you have any questions, please contact Zach Brown, BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee Co-Chair.

San Francisco Small Business Network - 2012 Small Business Recognition Award

2012-02-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please save the date for the San Francisco Small Business Network's (SFSBN) Awards Gala on May 10, 2012. The Gala will highlight the winners of the SFSBN awards so nominate a small business owner you know today! To do so, please complete the nomination form and return it to the SFSBN by March, 15, 2012 at 305 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 or fax to 415-934-0864 or scan and email to execdirector@sfsbn.org.

BOMA International National Issues Conference and Winter Business Meeting 2012

2012-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Your BOMA Advocacy Team will be attending the BOMA International Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference from January 30 to February 1, 2012 in Washington D.C.

The Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference provides members from all BOMA locals an opportunity to share ideas, learn from their peers, be a part of shaping the future of BOMA and the commercial real estate industry and to take our message to legislators and regulators in our nation’s capitol. Click here for more information, and here for a schedule of events.

Our regular flurry of blog posts may diminish while we are in Washington D.C. Please rest assured that we will be posting news and information from the conference, as well as the political and regulatory issues that affect the local commercial real estate industry in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties as soon as we return.

We Need Your Feedback! - Tenant Bicycle Access in Existing Commercial Buildings

2012-01-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco leaders have been meeting with representatives of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) and Supervisor John Avalos' office to work on an ordinance that would allow tenants' employees to have a secure place to store their bicycle during the workday. BOMA would like to thank SFBC Executive Director Leah Shahum, Program Manager Marc Caswell and Supervisor Avalos' staff for reaching out to our members for their input.

The current draft of the legislation, Tenant Bicycle Access in Existing Commercial Buildings Ordinance, is now available for BOMA San Francisco and SFBC members to review and submit their feedback. Click here access the ordinance.

To help understand the intent of the legislation, BOMA and SFBC staff have worked together to create a helpful Frequently Asked Questions sheet. Please click here to access that document.

Your feedback is paramount as the first committee hearing at City Hall for this ordinance is tentatively scheduled for mid-February Please email John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com and Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com with any comments you have.

Thank you, as always, for your time and consideration!

UPDATE: Recent America's Cup Hearing

2012-01-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - January 25, 2012

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors yesterday voted to reject an appeal that would have prevented the 34th America's Cup from moving forward.

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Original Post - January 20, 2012

In October 2011, Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, wrote an opinion piece in the San Francisco Examiner titled, America's Cup will be community benefit windfall for SF, Indeed, you can feel Mr. Intermaggio's enthusiasm for the sporting event in his opening paragraph:

Why am I wildly enthusiastic about San Francisco hosting the 2013 America’s Cup sailing race? This is a golden opportunity to leverage our region’s resources to generate much needed revenue for our city and create jobs!Indeed, San Francisco and the Bay Area will benefit from this world class sporting event. That's why we need your help!

Please consider attending the 34th America’s Cup (AC34) Vote to deny the appeal of the AC34 EIR at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors TUESDAY, JANUARY 24th at 4:00 pm, City Hall Room 250.

We are urging the Board of Supervisors to deny the appeals to the AC34 Environmental Impact Report and allow the project to move forward.

If you cannot attend the hearing, but are interested in other ways of supporting the 34th America’s Cup, you can submit a letter of support via email urging the Board of Supervisors commission to deny the appeal of the America’s Cup Environmental Impact Report. Emails of support can be sent to the below email addresses. If you are a San Francisco resident, please include that in your email:

David.Chiu@sfgov.org,

David.Campos@sfgov.org,

John.Avalos@sfgov.org,

Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org,

Scott.Wiener@sfgov.org,

Mark.Farrell@sfgov.org,

Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org,

Jane.Kim@sfgov.org,

Christine.Olague@sfgov.org,

Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org,

Malia.Cohen@sfgov.org

Community Meeting on Transbay Construction Activities

2012-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

With the completion of demolition of the old Transbay, excavation of the new Transbay Transit Center site is now in full swing. All around the jobsite, tjhe Transbay team is bustling with activity and would like to invite you to attend their next community meeting to see what exciting things are currently taking place.

Join us on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 to learn more about construction activities, buttress and shoring wall construction, trestle bridges, street closures and hours of activity. The community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Transbay Joint Powers Authority's (TJPA) offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100. You're welcome you to bring food or drinks to this meeting.

What: Community Meeting: Transbay Construction Update

When: Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Time: 12:00 Noon

Where: TJPA
201 Mission Street, Suite 2100
San Francisco, CA 94105

For more information about the Transbay Transit Center Project or to sign up to receive construction updates, visit www.transbaycenter.org.

Important America's Cup Hearing - January 24, 2012 at 4:00 p.m.

2012-01-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

In October 2011, Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, wrote an opinion piece in the San Francisco Examiner titled, America's Cup will be community benefit windfall for SF, Indeed, you can feel Mr. Intermaggio's enthusiasm for the sporting event in his opening paragraph:

Why am I wildly enthusiastic about San Francisco hosting the 2013 America’s Cup sailing race? This is a golden opportunity to leverage our region’s resources to generate much needed revenue for our city and create jobs!

Indeed, San Francisco and the Bay Area will benefit from this world class sporting event. That's why we need your help!

Please consider attending the 34th America’s Cup (AC34) Vote to deny the appeal of the AC34 EIR at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors TUESDAY, JANUARY 24th at 4:00 pm, City Hall Room 250.

We are urging the Board of Supervisors to deny the appeals to the AC34 Environmental Impact Report and allow the project to move forward.

If you cannot attend the hearing, but are interested in other ways of supporting the 34th America’s Cup, you can submit a letter of support via email urging the Board of Supervisors commission to deny the appeal of the America’s Cup Environmental Impact Report. Emails of support can be sent to the below email addresses. If you are a San Francisco resident, please include that in your email:

David.Chiu@sfgov.org,

David.Campos@sfgov.org,

John.Avalos@sfgov.org,

Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org,

Scott.Wiener@sfgov.org,

Mark.Farrell@sfgov.org,

Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org,

Jane.Kim@sfgov.org,

Christine.Olague@sfgov.org,

Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org,

Malia.Cohen@sfgov.org

We Need Your Feedback! - Disability Access (ADA) Improvements for Small Businesses and Landlord Obligations

2012-01-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to review an ordinance recently submitted by Supervisor David Chiu - Disability Access Improvements for Small Businesses and Landlord Obligations. BOMA San Francisco Codes and Regulations Committee members and Advocacy team have been meeting with the Supervisor and his staff to understand its potential impact on the aggregate commercial real estate industry. We'd like to thank Supervisor Chiu for his early outreach to BOMA San Francisco to enlist our feedback.

The Disability Access legislation would mandate commercial property owners make their first floor entrances handicap accessible before they could lease/release their, usually, first-floor retail spaces to tenants. It places the burden of non-compliant entrances squarely on the landlord. If signed into law, this ordinance will have a particularly large impact on small commercial property owners in San Francisco.

This is where your assistance is needed. Please review the ordinance by clicking here and the legislative digest, here. Please send your feedback to Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com.

SFDBI 2012 Disabled Access Valuation Threshold

2012-01-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please note that the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection (SFDBI) has updated the Disabled Access Valuation Threshold for 2012 to $136,060.00 (from $132,536.28 in 2011) per 2007 California Building Code (CBC) Section 1134B.2.1 Exception 1, and will be updated again in January 2013.

Background - Disabled Access Valuation Threshold & Disabled Access 20% Rule

Based on CBC 1134B.2.1, Exception 1, only projects with a construction cost less than the valuation threshold (current ENR Construction Cost Index Amount) are eligible for the 20% rule, where the project must provide disabled access upgrades up to 20% of the cost of construction in the required priority as listed on page 2 of the Disabled Access Checklist. In general, projects valued over the threshold are not eligible for the 20% rule (see CBC 1134.2.1 Exception 2 for a possible exception, below).

CBC 1134B.2.1 Exception 2 (abbreviated): In alteration projects involving buildings & facilities previously approved & built without elevators, areas above & below the ground floor are subject to the 20% disproportionality provisions described in Exception 1, even if the value of the project exceeds the valuation threshold in Exception 1. Refer to the Code for the types of buildings & facilities that qualifies for this 20% disproportionality provisions when project valuation is over the threshold.

To access the SFDBI's Disabled Access Upgrade Compliance Package for Existing Buildings Only, please click here. If you have any questions about the valuation threshold, or general disabled access issues, please contact the Department of Building Inspection at dbicustomerservice@sfgov.org or (415) 558-6088.

Congress Returns with Tax ‘Extenders’ Fate Uncertain

2012-01-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

With Congress returning to Washington this week and next, the fate of the tax "extenders" package remains in doubt. In 2011, Congress failed to extend a package of expiring tax provisions, which includes the 15–year timeline for depreciating leasehold improvements. Building owners must now return to the 39–year schedule unless Congress passes legislation to apply the reduced timeline to 2012 and beyond.

At this point the timeline for consideration is uncertain, and being an election year it’s conceivable that Congress could wait until after the November election to address these tax provisions, as they did in 2010.

BOMA/USGBC Launch New Report on Sustainability Policy Options

2012-01-19T14:53:00.001-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA International was among 15 partner organizations who joined the U.S. Green Building Council January 18th to announce the release of a report that recommends nearly three dozen executive actions across 23 agency programs where the Obama Administration can drive the economic and environmental benefits of green building without new legislation.

The report, Better Buildings though Executive Action: Leveraging Existing Authorities to Promote Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Multifamily and Commercial Buildings, builds on a 2010 report that identified nearly 100 legal authority opportunities across 30 existing federal programs worth more than $72 billion to improve energy efficiency in U.S. building stock.

Read the full press release.

To download the full report, visit www.usgbc.org/ExecutiveAction.

UPDATE: San Francisco Redistricting Task Force - Proposed District Boundaries and Community Meetings

2012-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - January 19, 2012

BOMA San Francisco Members:

If you are a registered voter in San Francisco, please pay close attention to your supervisorial district line as the boundaries may change based on the Redistricting Task Force's recommendations. Indeed, as of January 4, 2012, the first draft of redrawn district lines has been published. Please review the proposed district boundaries by clicking on the image below.

These maps are works-in-progress and do not represent any final determinations by the Task Force. The maps are posted for informational purposes only, and they have not been reviewed for compliance with all legal requirements. The Task Force intends to revise the maps at future meetings and welcomes public input on the maps. Comments may be submitted at meetings, by e-mail to rdtf@sfgov.org, or in-person to the Redistricting Task Force Clerk, City Hall, Room 244.

Please note that the San Francisco Redistricting Task Force Community Outreach Meetings have commenced. Please click here to view the meeting schedule and consider attending a meeting if you live in San Francisco.

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Original Post - March 30, 2011

Are you a registered voter in San Francisco? Interested in 2011 San Francisco census data and how it affects your supervisorial district's boundaries? Then you might be a candidate for the San Francisco 2011 Redistricting Task Force. More detailed information is below and here. Each of the three appointing authorities – the Mayor, the Board of Supervisors, and the Elections Commission – probably have different criteria. By unanimous approval at the March 16, 2011, meeting of the Elections Commission, it has selected the following minimum criteria for its three appointments:

Applicants must

Be registered to vote in San Francisco and have voted in San Francisco at least once since January 1, 2006;
Represent San Francisco’s diverse population;
Have not been paid by a political campaign since January 1, 2006;
Not currently a direct-hire employee of an elected official of the City and County of San Francisco;
Have general knowledge of San Francisco’s neighborhoods and geography;
Have flexible schedule for attending meetings; and
Not have a conflict of interest that is prohibited under conflict laws applicable to other City officers.

The Elections Commission invites applicants to send a letter that includes the following information

A statement confirming that you fit all of the seven minimum criteria stated above; and
A statement of interest, explaining why you want to serve and what your qualifications are; and
A statement confirming that you have enough time to attend the meetings of the task force; and
A resume, and/or a statement of relevant background.

NOTE that the application deadline is April 5, 2011

The Elections Commission intends to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall (room to be determined) to discuss the applications and interview applicants. Applicants should attend this meeting.

Following this, the Elections Commission might consider the applications at its regular meeting on May 18, 2011, and intends to make its three selections at its regular meeting on June 15, 2011. Obviously, in the event that the Board of Supervisors does not convene a Redistricting Task Force, then none of these appointments shall have any effect.

Please call or email the Elections Commission’s acting secretary, Gail Hilliard at Gail.Hilliard@sfgov.org (please put “Redistricting Task Force” in the subject line) or 415.554.7494.

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What is redistricting?

Every ten years, the Federal Government conducts a census to determine the number of individuals living in the United States. After the census is completed, the Charter requires the Director of Elections to determine whether the existing supervisorial districts meet the legal requirements established by federal, state and local law. If the existing supervisorial districts no longer comply with these legal requirements, the Charter requires the Board of Supervisors to convene an Elections Task Force to redraw the supervisorial district lines. The process of redrawing the supervisorial district lines is known as redistricting. The Director of Elections has not yet made this determination (as of March 28, 2011), but in the event that he finds that the districts must be redrawn and if the Board of Supervisors convenes a task force, the Elections Commission wants to find outstanding candidates as quickly as possible.

How does redistricting work?

If convened, the Elections Task Force will consist of nine members. The Mayor, the Board of Supervisors and the Elections Commission each appoint three members. These nine individuals work with City staff and outside consultants to determine how the supervisorial district lines should be redrawn so that the districts comply with the legal requirements established in federal, state and local law. As part of this process, the Elections Task Force holds multiple community hearings to receive input from the people of San Francisco. Throughout this process and based on community input, the Elections Task Force will make several changes to the existing supervisorial district lines. The Elections Task Force must present a final plan outlining the new supervisorial district lines to the Board of Supervisors in April 2012.

What are the legal requirements for supervisorial districts?

The members of the Elections Task Force must consider federal, state and local legal requirements when redrawing supervisorial district lines. For more on these legal requirements, please see http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=270

UPDATE: Better Market Street Project - Reports

2012-01-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - January 19, 2012

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The City has released the first set of reports for the Better Market Street Project. The 'Best Practices’ and ‘Existing Conditions' reports provide detailed research on the state of Market Street today and identifies alternate uses for the corridor based on exemplary precedents around the world. The Better Market Street Project was initiated to revitalize the Market Street corridor -- from the Embarcadero to Octavia Boulevard -- and to re-establish the street as the premier cultural, civic, and economic center for San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The reports serve as an archive of the feedback gathered from the May 2011 public outreach workshops and includes information on how San Franciscans and other Bay Area residents feel and view Market Street. The reports will be used as reference for the ongoing planning and design efforts for the project.

Click here to review the reports.

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BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please consider attending one of the following two workshops on the Better Market Street Project:

May 17, 2011

TUESDAY 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

The Warfield

982 Market Street near 6th Street

May 24, 2011

TUESDAY 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Hotel Whitcomb

1231 Market Street near 8th Street

Can't attend the workshops?

Webinars:

Thursday, May 19

Wednesday, May 25

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

The same information will be provided at each public workshop and webinar. Meeting materials will also be available at www.bettermarketstreetsf.org. For special accommodations and language assistance at a meeting, call (415) 227-1100 x118 at least 72 hours in advance.

Background

The Better Market Street project offers a special opportunity to envision a new Market Street that is more beautiful and green; has enlivened public plazas and sidewalks full of cafes; showcases public art and performances; provides dedicated bicycle facilities; and delivers efficient and reliable transit.

The goal of the project is to revitalize Market Street from Octavia Boulevard to The Embarcadero and reestablish the street as the premier cultural, civic and economic center of San Francisco and the Bay Area. The new design should create a comfortable, universally accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable place that attracts more people on foot, bicycle and public transit to visit shops, adjacent neighborhoods and area attractions.

To realize this goal, the Department of Public Works, the Planning Department, the Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and the Mayor's Office of Workforce and Economic Development, together with community partners, are initiating an effort to reimagine this public space to become a "Better Market Street." The goals include: Urban design that reflects local identities and encourages more social, cultural, and economic activities; and substantially enhanced conditions for bicyclists, pedestrians, and public transit riders.

The Better Market Street Project is an initiative between city agencies and community partners to improve San Francisco's most important street. For more information on the Better Market Street Project, please call (415) 558-4045, or visit the project website.

California Energy Commission Postpones Release of Proposed Energy Standards

2012-01-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The California Energy Commission (CEC) needs additional time to complete the full regulatory packet and has pushed back the release of their proposed changes to California’s Energy Efficiency Building Standards (Title 24, Part 6).

The CEC had intended to release the formal 45-Day Language package during the first week of January, however, they recently pushed that release date back to the last week of February. In the meantime, industry representatives have been meeting with members of the CEC administration to voice our objection over the bad timing of this historically large increase in proposed stringency and the related costs associated with those changes.

Any concerns or comments you have on these regulations would be welcome. Please email Mathew Hargrove at mhargrove@cbpa.com. For more information on this complicated process and to read proposed changes that will impact your business, visit the CEC website.

California Redevelopment Needs BOMA Members' Support

2012-01-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

A Redevelopment Bill has been introduced in the California Legislature, and it needs BOMA member support to move forward.

SB 659 (Padilla; D-Los Angeles) will postpone the February 1, 2012 deadline to begin dissolution of redevelopment agencies. The delay until April 15, 2012 will give time to address implementation issues that have come up as the result of the recent court ruling.

Without passage of this bill, agencies will be dissolved on February 1, leading to lawsuits, layoffs, delays, and confusion.

Over one hundred statewide and local labor, public safety, business groups, and affordable housing advocates have joined the “Coalition for Jobs and Neighborhood Renewal” in support of SB 659. Today we delivered a letter to the legislature urging them to pass SB 659 to allow time to develop a new job creation and neighborhood renewal program.

Read the press release by clicking here. And read the letter by clicking here.

Call your legislators TODAY and urge them to support SB 659 (Padilla) to postpone the February 1 dissolution date to provide time to fix many of the serious problems that have come up.

Find your legislators and their contact info here.

UPDATE: BOMA Bay Area 2012 EARTH Award Application Now Available + EARTH Award Workshop

2012-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco and BOMA Oakland East Bay Members:

UPDATE - January 13, 2012

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Original Post - November 2, 2011

The 2012 BOMA Bay Area EARTH Award Application is now available. Click here to submit your building in the contest! The application deadline is February 10, 2012.

Please click here to review the 2011 BOMA Bay Area Earth Award Winners

If you have any questions, please contact Zach Brown, BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee Co-Chair.

UPDATE: San Francisco Mobile Food Facilities Permits Issue on KQED's Forum Radio Program

2012-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Click here to download a detailed version of the Mobile Food Facility Permits map

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - As of January 12, 2012

The issue of Mobile Food Facilities (Food Trucks) was discussed on KQED's Forum radio program recently. Forum participants included:

Ken Cleaveland, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Public Affairs
Matthew Cohen, founder of Off the Grid
Rob Black, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association
Tim Volkema, co-owner of the Kasa Indian eatery and the Kasa Indian food truck

Please click here to listen to the discussion. BOMA San Francisco's Advocacy Team is working with Supervisor Scott Wiener to help address the proliferation of Food Trucks in the Financial District and other issues raised by the various stakeholders. We will continue to update BOMA members on the progress of the dialogue in future blog posts. Stay tuned!

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UPDATE - As of October 13, 2011

NOTE - the San Francisco Department of Public Works (SFDPW) has initiated the posting of the Notices of Intent for Mobile Food Facilities. Please bookmark this webpage and continue to check it for updated information going forward: http://www.sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1463. The webpage includes the following data:

What happens next? - Protests, Denial, DPW Administrative Hearing and Permit Appeals
Check Scheduled Hearings

Your BOMA San Francisco Advocacy team is working tenaciously with BOMA members, Supervisor Scott Wiener and his staff (who have been very helpful!) and the SFDPW staff to assuage the various issues that BOMA members have had - specifically ground floor retail tenants - with regard to the proliferation of Mobile Food Facilities in the Financial District and adjacent Districts.

We look forward to our next meeting with all stakeholders and will notify BOMA members in a future blog post of the meeting date, time and possible discussion points.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com.

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We've received two Mobile Food Facilities permit applications:

You can click here to review the MMF permit requests we've received to date.

Any interested party may request additional information or file an objection to the proposed MFF by contacting, in writing, or in person, the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Street-Use and Mapping, 875 Stevenson Street, Room 460, San Francisco, CA 94103 or by telephone at (415) 554-5810.

If you are a potential interested party within 300 foot radius of the proposed location, you have the right to object to the issuance of the Mobile Food Facility Permit. To exercise your rights, you must provide written objection within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of the letters to the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Street-Use & Mapping, 875 Stevenson Street, Room 460, San Francisco, CA 94103 Attn: Mobile Food Facility expressing your concerns and objections. Your envelope must be postmarked no later than date listed in the letter.

Leasehold Depreciation Provision Lapses – Payroll Tax Cut Extended

2012-01-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Prior to leaving Washington in 2011, Congress approved a two–month payroll tax cut extension just eight days before its scheduled expiration. Typically, this 12.4 percent tax is split evenly between employees and employers. However, a bill President Obama signed into law in 2010 reduced the employees’ portion to 4.2 percent while employers continued to pay 6.2 percent in 2011. The payroll tax cut extension became the primary issue of concern in the remaining days and weeks of the first half of the 112th Congress. This meant less focus by lawmakers on the expiring package of tax "extenders," which includes the 15–year timeline for leasehold improvements. Consequently, building owners must return to depreciating leasehold improvements over a 39–year period. BOMA International will continue to raise awareness of the adverse economic impact this tax change will have and continue to advocate for extension of the 15–year provision in 2012 and beyond. BOMA will also continue to push for it to be considered on a permanent basis in the context of overall tax reform.

San Francisco Controller's Office Report: October 2011 Economic Barometer

2012-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Highlights from the October 2011 Economic Barometer Report:

San Francisco's labor market picture continued to gradually brighten in the fall of 2011, with unemployment falling to 8.1%. This compares with 9.3% the previous October, and represents the lowest unemployment rate in the city since February 2009.
Private-sector job creation is finally beginning to drive down unemployment. 16,200 jobs were created in the 3-county San Francisco metropolitan division since October 2010. 15,200 of those jobs were in the private sector, with particular growth in the professional services, and leisure and hospitality industries.
Tourism appears to be close to a full recovery from the recession. Hotel rates, as noted in the chart below, are at an all-time high in October, while employment in restaurants and bars is 2,000 greater than it was 3 years ago.
The recovery in employment has led to increases in commercial rents and occupancy, though not yet to pre-recession levels. Average housing sales prices remain weak, at 2.6% below the level of October 2010.

Please click here for the full report.

UPDATE: BOMA Bay Area 2012 EARTH Award Application Now Available + EARTH Award Workshop on January 13th

2012-01-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - January 4, 2012

A brown bag lunch session will be presented by the BOMA San Francisco Energy & Environment Committee to guide member building owners and managers through the 2012 EARTH Awards application process.

If you'd like to attend, please contact John Bozeman at (415) 686-9652 at johnb@boma.com.

The free workshop will be held at The Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery Street, 48th Floor, San Francisco, CA from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on January 13, 2012. BOMA San Francisco and East Bay members may register and stop-by at any point during this time frame for hands-on assistance with their application.

Individuals from various organizations and vendors will be on-hand to provide resources and answer questions regarding the sustainable practices measured by the 2012 EARTH Award Application: Landfill Waste & Diversion, Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Hazardous Materials, Purchasing, Transportation, and Tenant Education. The EARTH Award Application is due Friday, February 10, 2012.

Click here to submit your building in the contest!

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Original Post - November 2, 2011

The 2012 BOMA Bay Area EARTH Award Application is now available. Click here to submit your building in the contest! The application deadline is February 10, 2012.

Please click here to review the 2011 BOMA Bay Area Earth Award Winners

If you have any questions, please contact Zach Brown, BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee Co-Chair.

CAPSS - Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety Update

2012-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The New Year will bring a Year of Action for earthquake preparedness in San Francisco.

The year will begin with the publication of Safe Enough to Stay in the SPUR Urbanist. The focus of this SPUR study is: What will it take for San Franciscans to be able to shelter in their homes after an earthquake? The advantages of a shelter-in-place strategy are many – supporting neighborhoods and communities, reducing demands for emergency and interim housing, encouraging rapid recovery, and more.

A related Safe Enough to Stay exhibition will be presented at the SPUR Urban Center Gallery from February 7 to April 4, 2012. You are invited to attend the Exhibition Opening on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 6: to 8: PM. More information is available by clicking here.

The CAPSS team could use your help in preparing and constructing this exhibition – I can guarantee that it will be a lot of fun and a challenge! Please feel free to join them and others for upcoming planning and construction activities. Email Laurence.Kornfield@sfgov.org if you can join them for any of the following:

Safe Enough to Stay exhibition planning on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 11:30 AM at the SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, San Francisco.

Follow-up exhibition planning on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 11:30 AM at the SPUR Urban Center. Exhibition construction – including building a full-sized San Francisco apartment following an earthquake! – will take place from January 23-27. More details of construction schedule in future emails.

Supervisor Eric Mar and City Hall Staff Members Tour The Iconic Transamerica Pyramid

2011-12-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco hosted a building tour of the Transamerica Pyramid for Supervisor Eric Mar and City Hall staff on December 8, 2011. Finished in 1972, the 48-story building is a great example of how a high-rise building is managed, and how an existing building can be retrofitted to address today's energy efficiency requirements and accommodate tenants in a modern office environment.

BOMA San Francisco would like to thank Supervisor Mar and City Hall staff members for taking the time to tour the Transamerica Pyramid. BOMA appreciate's our relationship with the Supervisor and we look forward to working with him more on issues that affect both the commercial real estate industry and the City in the future.

We would also like to thank the Cushman and Wakefield management team at The Pyramid Center for organizing the tour: Phil Rapoport, General Manager; Jackson Talbot, Director of Security; and, Doug Peterson, Chief Engineer.

BOMA San Francisco Op-Ed in the San Francisco Examiner - Time to admit failure of ranked-choice voting

2011-12-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click on the print article, above or here, to read the op-ed piece, Time to admit failure of ranked-choice voting, by Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, published in the San Francisco Examiner on December 8, 2011.

UPDATE: BOMA Chair Ray Mackey Cited in White House Blog Post on President Obama’s new Better Buildings Initiative

2011-12-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - December 6, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The San Francisco Business Times recently reported that the Obama Administration has dedicated $2 billion to fund the Better Buildings Challenge. Click here to read the full report.

-----------------

Original Post - February 7, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA International Chair Ray H. Mackey, Jr., was cited in a White House blog post on President Obama's new Better Building Initiative

We applaud President Obama’s new energy policy to improve energy efficiency in commercial, multi-family and institutional buildings. The initiative includes the critical business incentives, such as the commercial building tax credit and loan guarantees, that are key to meeting the energy efficiency goals of the plan. BOMA International has been a leader in energy efficiency for years, launching the 7-Point Challenge in 2007 which asked members to reduce energy consumption by 30% by 2012.

Please click here to read the entire White House blog post.

About Ray H. Mackey, Jr.

In his position as chief operating officer at Stream Realty, Ray Mackey has helped to grow Stream’s leasing and management portfolio from 750,000 square feet of commercial space to more than 60 million square feet in six major markets throughout the Southwest, Southeast and West Coast areas. Before joining Stream Realty in 1999, Mackey worked for Trammell Crow Company, Rostland Property Management Company, Texas Instruments and served with the United States Air Force.

Mackey has been a BOMA member since 1984. He has served as president of Dallas BOMA, director of the Texas BOMA Board of Directors and president of Texas BOMA. He has been active in numerous committees at BOMA International, chairing the Education Committee, the Education Advisory Council, the Nominating Committee, the Reinventing Major Meetings Task Force and the BOMA 360 Performance Program Council. He has also served two terms on the BOMA International Executive Committee.

BOMA Set to Take over Capitol Hill – Join Us!

2011-12-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Join your BOMA peers and colleagues as they hit the halls of Capitol Hill during the National Issues Conference. There’s nothing more invigorating than playing your part in the political process and meeting face–to–face with legislators on the issues that impact commercial real estate. It’s one of the most effective ways we communicate our message. And whether you’re a NIC pro or a first–timer, we’ll prepare you to speak with lawmakers during the "How to Lobby Workshop." Plus, NIC attendees will hear first–hand from Congressional guest speakers and Keynote Speaker Tucker Carlson.

Want to know more about NIC? Check out the latest Board Briefings video with the low–down on what to expect.

Remember, the 2012 Winter Business Meeting and National Issues Conference will be held together this year, Jan 30 – Feb 1 in Washington D.C. It will be one power–packed meeting that you can’t afford to miss.

Register Today.

What Super Committee Failure Means for CRE

2011-12-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, the efforts of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the Congressional Super Committee) to identify $1.2 billion in spending cuts and revenue raisers ended in the partisan gridlock that has plagued the 112th Session of Congress since its beginning. Now, Congress is scrambling to resurrect its tax agenda and soften the effects of the mandatory spending cuts that will be automatically triggered by the committee’s failure beginning in 2013.

As early as Friday, December 2, 2011, Congress could vote on legislation to extend the social security payroll tax cut implemented last year; however, unsurprisingly, Congress cannot agree on how to pay for it. Democrats favor a surtax on income in excess of $1 million a year, while many Republicans would like to consider some of the spending cuts that were identified by the Super Committee, such as a salary freeze for federal workers.

In addition, individual and business tax breaks totaling approximately $55 billion will expire at the end of the year, including the 15–year depreciation period for leasehold improvements, which absent Congressional action will revert back to 39 years on January 1. Also included of interest to BOMA members is the brownfield remediation provision that allows owners to write–off brownfield remediation costs in the year they are incurred instead of at the time the property is sold. BOMA and our coalition partners have been working to press Congress to take immediate action on the extenders package.

California Proposition 13 Split Roll Property Tax Initiative Submitted

2011-11-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

We've been notified by BOMA California that the process for an initiative on split roll property tax in California commenced yesterday with the submission of a request for title and summary of the “Protect Homeowners and Close Corporate Loopholes Act.” Please know, this is just the first step of the initiative process and it still has a ways to go before it goes before voters, but we thought you needed to be aware that proponents are actively pushing the idea.

Here is a summary of the key provisions:

Exempts all residential property – including rentals and apartments
Requires commercial reassessment at least every three years
Increases homeowner exemption to $14,000
Provides a $1,000,000 personal property tax exemption
Puts money into general fund to increase Prop 98 funding

Click here to review the proposed language.

We will keep you posted on any new developments. Please email Matthew Hargrove at mhargrove@cbpa.com if you have any questions, comments, or need additional information.

Donald Savoie Named Executive Director Of Civic Center Community Benefit District

2011-11-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The newly formed Civic Center Community Benefit District (CBD) announced the hiring of Donald W. Savoie as its Executive Director.

Savoie has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, event planning and communications. He has worked with various types of nonprofit organizations, such as chambers of commerce, cultural institutions, arts organizations, AIDS-service organizations, environmental coalitions, and alumni groups.

As the former executive director of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Savoie worked with City leaders on establishing two business improvement districts. In his most recent position with the San Francisco chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, Savoie has worked with designers in graphics and affiliated fields in the greater Bay Area.

David Harrison, chair of the CBD’s interim board of directors, said “We’re pleased to welcome Don as our Executive Director, and look forward to his leadership as the CBD works to fulfill its mission of improving the level of cleanliness and safety for the Civic Center area’s many residents, workers, and visitors.”

Mayor Edwin M. Lee stated, “The creation of the new Civic Center CBD will help deliver a cleaner, safer and more vibrant Civic Center for all San Franciscans, and I look forward to working with Mr. Savoie, residents and businesses as we revitalize and invest in this important neighborhood.”

Services are anticipated to commence February, 2012.

ABOUT THE CIVIC CENTER COMMUNITY BENEFIT DISTRICT:

San Francisco’s Civic Center area is home to some of its most important public buildings, cultural institutions, and public spaces. The Civic Center CBD is a special assessment district formed in 2011 following approval by a weighted majority of property owners in the district. Go to www.sfciviccentercbd.org for more information.

GreenFinanceSF for Commercial Property Owners Launches

2011-11-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

As part of San Francisco's effort to drive environmental and economic innovation, Mayor Ed Lee and San Francisco Department of the Environment Director Melanie Nutter launched a groundbreaking program to encourage businesses to undertake climate-friendly building improvements and attract significant new capital to pay for them.

The GreenFinanceSF Commercial program is a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program designed to give commercial property owners a new form of financing for the installation of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements.

The program strives to help commercial property owners reduce operating costs, improve occupant health and comfort, enhance building value, and mitigate environmental impact as well as to provide financial institutions with very secure collateral to facilitate project financing at attractive rates.

GreenFinanceSF will accept financing proposals from property owners on a rolling basis with the expectation that all qualified applications will be approved.

For more information on GreenFinanceSF or to apply, please visit www.GreenFinanceSF.org. If you have specific questions, feel free to send an email to contact@greenfinancesf.org, or call 415-937-7223.

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

Weekday Work (11/21/11 – 11/23/11):

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If there is a problem, work on site could extend into the hours between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the central transit center sites, while buttress spoils are removed from the eastern transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, except as otherwise noted below. Activities will include:

Buttress, Shoring & Excavation Work:

Buttress Wall: Installation of the buttress wall will continue in the eastern transit center site inside the construction fence between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Shoring Wall: Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site inside the construction fence – Day Shift.

Excavation Work: Excavation for the new Transit Center Building (including demolition of underground structures) will continue through the end of 2014. The excavation will move from the west transit center site and continue to the east end. The contractor will be excavating to an average depth of about 60 to 65 feet. NOTE: While most excavation work will take place during the day shift to begin, excavation, like the Buttress work, will become a 24 hour activity.

Crushed concrete and spoils will be removed from the western transit center site exiting onto Howard Street from a construction gate located near 564 Howard – Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Underground utilities work continues on First Street – Day Shift.

Mission Street (Between Second and Main Streets): Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street – Day Shift.

What to Expect Next Weekend Thanksgiving Holiday (11/24/11 – 11/27/11):

No heavy work is scheduled to take place during Thanksgiving weekend - Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, November 27. Maintenance work will take place within the site.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead, please review the affected streets below:

Beale Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Sidewalk paving work will take place along Beale Street on Tuesday, November 22 and Wednesday, November 23 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Pedestrians will be re-directed into the parking lane. A flagger will be on site.

Howard Street (Between First and Second Streets): Sidewalk paving work will take place along a portion of Howard Street on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Pedestrians will not be re-directed.

First Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Utility work will take place along First Street. Lane restrictions will be in effect from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Fremont Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Street restoration work will take place along Fremont Street on Saturday, November 19 and Monday, November 21. Access to Natoma Street will be maintained at times. A flagger will be on site.

The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed. Pedestrians are directed to the sidewalk on the west side of Fremont Street.

Minna Street (Between First and Second Streets): Minna Street has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound), all vehicles will enter from First Street or Shaw Alley. There will be no parking along Minna Street between First Street and 130 feet east of Second Street for the life of the project.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street will be closed to traffic at Second Street on Saturday, November 19 for pavement restoration. Local access will be available.

Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street. Local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street will remain available.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Natoma Street has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound), all vehicles will enter from Fremont Street and exit at First Street for the life of the project.

Market Street and Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission between Second and Main Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Beginning Saturday, November 19 PG&E will be performing work at the Beale and Mission Street intersection, with additional night work being performed along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets. This work is not under the control or authority of the TJPA. If you have any questions surrounding this work please contact PG&E representative Michael Riordan at (415) 973-6201

Transbay Archeology Exhibit Opening

As the construction of the Transbay Transit Center moves ahead, we would like to share with our project neighbors and Bay Area residents some of the amazing artifacts that we have found along the way.

This exhibit will feature a variety of items discovered within the footprint of the project site that illuminate the rich history of San Francisco’s gold rush era. Recovered artifacts show the way residents of the South of Market neighborhood in the 19th century lived, worked and played, including industrial tools, household items and remnants of neighborhood businesses.

Opening:

Friday, December 2, 2011

TIME: 9 AM – 5 PM

201 Mission Street lobby

San Francisco, CA 94105

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call our construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Construction Activity Map: Check out the construction activity map at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates/construction-activity-map

Public Transit:

The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

UPDATE: The Annual Building Codes Seminar - 2011 Codes Update & Overview

2011-11-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

L to R: Reuben Hechanova; Ilene Dick; Skip Soskin and Neil Friedman

Skip Soskin, Codes and Regulation Committee Chair

L to R: Barry Hooper, Dept. of Environment; Steven Ring, BOMA Board of Directors

More pictures are available to view on our Facebook page!

BOMA San Francisco Members:

We were honored to have standing room only capacity for our Annual Building Codes Seminar held recently. Thank you to everyone who attended, our guest speakers (listed in our previous blog post, below) and our generous sponsors!

Lead Sponsor - San Francisco Electrical Contractors Association

Event Sponsor: Cupertino Electric

Topics Covered:

State Building Code Changes and Local and Federal ADA Requirements
San Francisco Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance
Bird Safe Standards
Water Conservation Ordinance
Stormwater Management Ordinance
Destination Elevators
SFFD Lockbox Program - TRACcess Lockboxes
Evacuation Signage
CAPSS - Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety
Planning Code Update
Building Occupancy Resumption Program (BORP)

-------------------

Original Post - November 9, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco’s Annual Building Codes Seminar on Novmeber 10, 2011 will feature presentations from San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection, San Francisco Fire Department and Department of the Environment. Topics discussed will include:

Energy audit requirements;
ADA updates (local and Federal);
Seismic, Plumbing, and other new code requirements;
And, an opportunity for BOMA San Francisco members to interact with city officials responsible for enforcing these codes.

On-line Registration - You can also register at the event!

SFSU Downtown Center, 835 Market Street, Room 609, in the Westfield Center.

8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Sponsors:

Lead Sponsor - San Francisco Electrical Contractors Association

Event Sponsor: Cupertino Electric

Speakers

Ilene Dick, Esq. Farella Braun + Martel

Capt. Don Fields, SFFD

Tony Greico, Department of Building Inspection

Asst. Deputy Chief Tom Harvey, SFFD

Reuben Hechanova, SF Building Inspection

Barry Hooper, SF Department of Environment

Laurence Kornfield, SF Mayor’s Office

Ken Kortkamp, SF PUC

Erika Lovejoy, SF Planning Department

Elaine Moulos, City Stamp & Sign Company

Danny Murtagh, Boston Properties

Julie Ortiz, SF PUC

Steve Panelli, SF Department of Building Inspection

Steven Ring, Cushman & Wakefield

Skip Soskin, Huntsman Architectural Group

George Von Klan, GVK Elevator Consulting

New Legislation Would Give Building Owners Notice of ADA Lawsuits

2011-11-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Rep. Dan Lungren (R–Calif.) recently introduced legislation that would give building owners notice and a compliance period before a person can commence civil action for violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

H.R. 3356, also known as ACCESS (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services) Act of 2011. The legislation would require that any person aggrieved by discrimination based on the failure to remove a structural barrier to entry into an existing public accommodation first give written notice to the owner of the facility. The owner would then be allowed 60 days to respond with a written description outlining improvements that will be made to remove the barrier, followed by another 120 days to complete the removal of the barrier, before civil action can be pursued.

San Francisco Eastside Recycled Water Project Open House - November 17th

2011-11-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please join the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) for an open house session to learn about the benefits of recycled water.

Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Mission Bay Visitor Center

255 Channel, San Francisco

Click the image to enlarge.

SFPUC staff will be on hand to answer all questions regarding the Recycled Water Ordinance and how it can impact any new buildings built on the East side of San Francisco (South of Market/ AT&T Park Area/ the beginning and end of Third Street.)

Staff will also discuss the possibilities and potential for using clean, highly treated recycled water instead of drinking water for non-drinking purposes, e.g., irrigation and toilet flushing in new buildings built with dual systems.

The open house will give BOMA members a chance to ask questions about recycled water dual systems, talk one-on-one with SFPUC staff engineers and project managers, and how to get involved in the planning if one of their buildings may be impacted.

Please feel free to contact Ken Cleaveland at kenc@boma.com and John Bozeman at johnb@boma.com with any questions you may have. The SFPUC contact for the open house is Suzanne Gautier, sgautier@sfwater.org or (415) 554-3204.

Community Meeting on Transbay Construction Activities

2011-11-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

With the completion of demolition, excavation of the Transbay Transit Center site is fast approaching. All around the jobsite, the Transbay Construction team is bustling with activity and they would like to invite you to come to their next community meeting to see what exciting things are currently taking place.

Join them on Friday, November 18, 2011 to learn more about construction activities, buttress and shoring wall construction, trestle bridges, street closures and hours of activity. The community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the TJPA’s offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100. The Transbay team appreciates that you are taking your lunch hour to learn more about this exciting project, and welcomes you to bring food or drinks to this meeting.

What: Community Meeting: Transbay Construction Update

When: Friday, November 18, 2011

Time: 12:00 Noon

Where: Transbay Joint Powers Authority

201 Mission Street, Suite 2100

San Francisco, CA 94105

The Transbay Joint Powers Authority looks forward to your participation and input during this exciting time. For more information about the Transbay Transit Center Project or to sign up to receive construction updates, visit www.transbaycenter.org.

BOMA San Francisco Op-Ed in the San Francisco Examiner - Time to Repair The City’s Busted Budget Priorities

2011-11-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to enlarge

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click on the print article, above or here, to read the op-ed piece, Time to repair The City’s busted budget priorities, by Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, published in the San Francisco Examiner on November 14, 2011.

IGCC Final Action Hearings Prove Successful for BOMA

2011-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The final public hearings to determine the content of the 2012 International Green Construction Code (IGCC) wrapped up last Sunday in Phoenix and BOMA secured approval for most of our major objectives.

The new IGCC is set to be published in March 2012 and will be available for local and state jurisdictional adoption and implementation at that time. BOMA’s codes advocacy staff worked with other real estate trade groups and local building officials to support significant modifications to the Version 2.0 draft of the code that will make it more user–friendly and less onerous for the commercial real estate industry.

BOMA led efforts to approve making IGCC an “overlay” to the minimum health and safety construction codes with restrictions so that no permits are to be issued under the IGCC alone. We also received overwhelming support from building officials for making ASHRAE’s green code, Standard 189.1, available at the project owner’s discretion as an alternate compliance path.

Highlights of the hearing results on BOMA’s other major objectives include:

Deletion of the entire section governing "service life" terms for equipment, systems and whole buildings ranging from 60 to 200 years;
Deletion of requirements mandating more efficient portable tenant appliances and devices, such as computers and printers;
Elimination of the mandatory 14–day whole building interior air flush–out prior to occupancy;
Deletion of mandates on owners requiring periodic reporting on green operations and maintenance procedures, and requirements to maintain operations and maintenance records on–site throughout the life of the building; and
Elimination of the requirements for retroactive code compliance inspections triggered by the sale of a building.

BOMA Supports The Transit Center District Plan and Transit Tower Draft EIR

2011-11-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

Click here to view a video rendering of the Transit Center

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco supports the Transit Center District Plan and Transit Tower Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) being considered by the San Francisco Planning Commission. Please click here to review our support letter to the Planning Commission. Detailed information about the Draft EIR can be reviewed by clicking the following links:

NOTE: Public comments will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Monday, November 28, 2011. If you approve of this project please consider sending your letter of support to to Bill Wycko, Environmental Review Officer, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103, bill.wycko@sfgov.org.

The Annual Building Codes Seminar - 2011 Codes Update & Overview

2011-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Energy audit requirements;
ADA updates (local and Federal);
Seismic, Plumbing, and other new code requirements;
And, an opportunity for BOMA San Francisco members to interact with city officials responsible for enforcing these codes.

On-line Registration - You can also register at the event!

SFSU Downtown Center, 835 Market Street, Room 609, in the Westfield Center.

8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Sponsors:

Lead Sponsor - San Francisco Electrical Contractors Association

Event Sponsor: Cupertino Electric

Speakers

Ilene Dick, Esq. Farella Braun + Martel

Capt. Don Fields, SFFD

Tony Greico, Department of Building INIspection

Asst. Deputy Chief Tom Harvey, SFFD

Reuben Hechanova, SF Building Inspection

Barry Hooper, SF Department of Environment

Laurence Kornfield, SF Mayor’s Office

Ken Kortkamp, SF PUC

Erika Lovejoy, SF Planning Department

Elaine Moulos, City Stamp & Sign Company

Danny Murtagh, Boston Properties

Julie Ortiz, SF PUC

Steve Panelli, SF Department of Building Inspection

Steven Ring, Cushman & Wakefield

Skip Soskin, Huntsman Architectural Group

George Von Klan, GVK Elevator Consulting

November 8, 2011 VOTER GUIDE - BOMA SF-PAC Candidate Endorsements & Positions on City Propositions

2011-11-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Click on our voter guide image to enlarge and print

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The BOMA San Francisco Political Action Committee (BOMA SF-PAC) has endorsed candidates and taken positions on local ballot measures that will appear on the November 8, 2011 ballot.

NOTE: This election is administered by Rank Choice Voting (RCV), hence the 1-2-3 endorsement structure below.

Mayor

District Attorney

George Gascón
Bill Fazio
No third place endorsement

Sheriff

Chris Cunnie
Paul Miyamoto
No third place endorsement

Propositions - Please click on the titles of the propositions for more information!

A - School Bonds - NO POSITION

General Obligation bond measure of $531 million to finance repairs, renovations and new construction of San Francisco Unified School District structures.

B - Road Repaving and Street Safety Bonds - OPPOSE

$248 million bond to rebuild deteriorating city streets.

C - City Pension and Health Care Benefits - SUPPORT

Mayor Ed Lee's Charter Amendment that would increase employee pension contributions, increase retirement ages, require employee contributions to the Retiree Health Care Trust Fund and change the composition of the Health Services System Board.

D - City Pension Benefits - OPPOSE

Jeff Adachi’s Charter Amendment that would reform the funding of city employee pension and retiree healthcare through increased pension contributions, increased retirement ages and limiting the annual pension for new employees.

E - Amending or Repealing Legislative Initiative Ordinances & Declarations of Policy - SUPPORT

Ordinance that would allow voter-adopted initiative ordinances and declarations of policy originating with the mayor or Board of Supervisors to be amended or repealed by the Board of Supervisors, with certain conditions.

F - Campaign Consultant Ordinance - NO POSITION

Modifies current San Francisco campaign consultant regulations to require consultants to submit campaign consultant filings monthly instead of quarterly, and complete a training course. Exempts some consultants from filing if they receive less than $5,000 per year in consulting fees, and increases other fees.

G - Sales Tax - OPPOSE

Ordinance that would temporarily increase the sales tax rate in San Francisco from its current rate of 8.5 percent to 9 percent, but would be repealed for five years if the state restores recently expired sales taxes. The revenue is intended to fund public safety and social programs in the face of reductions in state funding.

H - School District Student Assignment - NO POSITION

Advisory measure declaring policy that every family in every San Francisco neighborhood should have the opportunity to send their children to a quality school in their neighborhood, and the system for assigning children to schools should give the highest priority to proximity of a child’s home to the school.

Click here to go the San Francisco Department of Elections Website

Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test - November 9 at 11:00 a.m. PDT

2011-11-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is scheduled for November 9, 2011 at 11: 00 a.m. PDT. The test will include an audio message stating "This is a test." The audio message will be the same for both radio and television.

Here are the details:

WHEN: Wednesday, November 9 at 11:00 a.m. PDT, up to three minutes
WHERE: Every television and radio station, including cable television and satellite radio
WHY: To test simultaneous nationwide alert and notification capabilities

Here are the challenges:

It is possible the visual message on the television screen may not explicitly say “This is a TEST"
It is unclear if the messages will be translated into languages other than English, as translation is left up to each specific broadcast station
If someone is hearing impaired or does not understand English, they could take the test as an actual emergency situation

How your can help:

It is imperative the community know that the test is a test and not an alert communicating an actual emergency.

To mitigate these challenges, we ask that you inform your tenants of the test—especially those who may not receive clear communication that the EAS alert is only test (e.g., those who are deaf or hard of hearing and/or those with limited English proficiency). The following text is proposed language that the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management suggests you to send to your networks via a method you deem most appropriate; thank you in advance for disseminating:

--------------------

PROPOSED EMAIL/LETTER CORRESPONDENCE TEXT

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 9 at 11:00 a.m. PDT. The test may last up to three and a half minutes and will be announced on every television and radio station, including cable television and satellite radio. The National-level EAS is a national public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies. Nationwide EAS Test will help the federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally.

The nationwide test will simultaneously involve television stations (including digital television, cable, satellite audio and television services and broadcast radio stations across the U.S. and several U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, America Samoa).

Here are the challenges:

It is possible the visual message on the television screen may not explicitly say “This is a TEST”
It is unclear if the messages will be translated into languages other than English, as translation is left up to each specific station
If someone is hearing impaired or does not understand English, they could take the test as an actual emergency situation
If someone is hearing impaired or does not understand English, they could take the test as an actual emergency situation. So, please be advised that on November 9 at 11am when you hear the EAS alert message, please know it is only a test. For more information about the Nationwide EAS Test, please visit http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-test.

Thank you.

-------------------

FAQs about the scheduled 11/9 EAS Test:

What is the National-level EAS?

The National-level EAS is a public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies. Similar to the way local emergency alert system tests are conducted, the nationwide test will simultaneously involve television stations (including digital television, cable, satellite audio and television services) and broadcast radio stations across the U.S. and several U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, America Samoa).

Why is the test being conducted?

The EAS test plays a key role in ensuring our nation is prepared for all hazards and that the public is able to receive critical and vital information, should it ever be needed.

The EAS has never been tested on a national level before, and this test is an opportunity to exercise the system and its capabilities at all levels. Ensuring that the EAS architecture functions properly is necessary for alerting at all levels of government. A more effective and functional EAS requires continual testing to identify necessary improvements. While EAS tests may be temporarily disruptive to radio and television programming, they are important to ensure that the EAS is functional.

When will the test occur?

The nationwide test will occur on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 11: 00 a.m. PDT and may last up to three and a half minutes.

Who will participate in the Nationwide EAS test?

EAS participants include all broadcasters, satellite and digital radio and television, cable and wireline video providers who ensure the system is at a constant state of readiness. The general public will experience the nationwide test of the EAS should they be engaged audiences.

BOMA Bay Area 2012 EARTH Award Application Now Available

2011-11-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The 2012 BOMA Bay Area EARTH Award Application is now available. Click here to submit your building in the contest! The application deadline is February 10, 2012.

Please click here to review the 2011 BOMA Bay Area Earth Award Winners

If you have any questions, please contact Zach Brown, BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee Co-Chair.

UPDATE: CAPSS - Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety

2011-11-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Thank you for your continuing interest in San Francisco’s earthquake safety activities. Much has been done and much more will be soon be underway as the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPSS) team gears up the Earthquake Safety Implementation Program. Recent minor earthquakes on the Hayward Fault have helped keep this important issue on everyone’s mind. Here are updates on some of the many projects underway:

A draft 30-year Earthquake Safety Implementation Workplan has been released by Mayor Ed Lee, based on the recommendations of CAPSS, the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety. To see the first draft of the Earthquake Workplan, click here. For the Mayor’s press release, issued on the 22nd Anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, please click here.
The Earthquake Safety Implementation Workplan proposes many activities to begin in 2012. These activities include the evaluation and upgrade program for Soft-Story buildings with 5+ dwelling units and 3+ stories. San Francisco’s soft-story retrofit program is designed to provide acceptable performance at the lowest cost, limiting work to the ground floor in most cases. The report upon which this program is based, Seismic Retrofit of Weak-Story Multi-Unit Wood-Frame Structures: A Cost Effective Techniques, [Report ATC 71-1, now FEMA P-807] will be issued in final form within the next month. Following that release, we will use this new technique to analyze and retrofit a few demonstration projects to assure that we have addressed all of the critical issues.
The Department of Building Inspection’s Code Advisory Committee is completing review of three Administrative Bulletins deailing Post-Earthquake Building Repair and Retrofit that were developed as part of the CAPSS work. The Code Advisory Committee is expected to recommend these Administrative Bulletins to the Building Inspection Commission for adoption in the near future.
SPUR, the San Francisco Planning and Research Association, is completing a project proposing Shelter-in-Place standards to increase San Francisco’s earthquake resilience. Shelter-in-Place encourages residents to remain in their homes following earthquakes whenever safe, rather than seek shelter in other locations. This SPUR Shelter-in-Place project dovetails with the work of many City agencies.
In Spring 2012 the CAPSS Earthquake Safety Implementation Program will recommence the Earthquake Seminar Series and internship program. Future seminar topics and internship opportunities will be announced soon.

The CAPSS Project was developed to:

• Recommend programs reduce earthquake risk. CAPSS recommends seventeen important actions for the City to take to reduce damage in future earthquakes. These recommendations were developed with the help of a dedicated, volunteer Advisory Committee made up of diverse San Francisco residents.

• Develop improved post-earthquake repair requirements. The City’s current policy covering repair of buildings after earthquakes has problems. CAPSS recommends sensible improvements to this policy, to make rebuilding after the next earthquake smoother.

Project History

The CAPSS project was managed by the Department of Building Inspection and guided by a volunteer Advisory Committee made up of community members.

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) contracted with the Department of Building Inspection to conduct the CAPSS project. ATC is a non-profit organization that develops and promotes state-of-thae-art, user-friendly engineering resources and applications to mitigate the effects of natural and other hazards on the built environment. ATC assembled a team of consultants with diverse specialites to work on the CAPSS project.

UPDATE: BOMA San Francisco Members Meet with Chris Cunnie - Candidate for San Francisco Sheriff

2011-11-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Chris Cunnie

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - November 2, 2011

BOMA San Francisco's Government & Public Affairs Committee members welcomed back San Francisco Sheriff Candidate Chris Cunnie for an update on his campaign efforts. BOMA has endorsed Mr. Cunnie as our #1 choice for San Francisco Sheriff for the November 8, 2011 election due to his leadership experience as detailed in our previous blog post, below.

Please click here to visit Chris Cunnie's website for more information.

If you are a San Francisco resident, please use BOMA San Francisco's Voter Guide on election day, November 8, 2011.

--------------------

Original Post - July 28, 2011

Chris Cunnie

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA members had the opportunity to meet one of candidates running for San Francisco Sheriff in the November election, Chris Cunnie.

Mr. Cunnie spoke to his previous experience as a twice-decorated police officer who served as head of the Police Officers Association, head of Emergency Communications under Mayor Gavin Newsom, head of Investigations under then District Attorney Kamala Harris and Undersheriff for Sheriff Michael Hennessey. He noted his leadership in the treatment community as President of the Board of Directors of San Francisco’s storied Walden House and as a board member of the California Narcotic Addict Evaluation Authority (established under California Proposition 36).

In addition to his service in San Francisco’s law enforcement and treatment communities, Chris has worked in Sacramento to coordinate statewide public safety efforts and represented the 90,000 men and women of law enforcement in California as Vice-President of the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations. He has been twice decorated with the medal of valor in the San Francisco Police Department and awarded The Lifetime Labor Achievement award from the statewide Golden Badge Foundation.

He mentioned that his absolute priority is keeping the City safe - and that he has the skill-set to make that a reality. For example, Mr. Cunnie has a working understanding of the recently approved realignment program - the transition of inmates from the state to the counties - and feels that the City can absorb an increase in the prison population all while utilizing the current programs in place within the Sheriff's Department and partnerships with the treatment community and job training programs.

Please click here to visit Chris Cunnie's website for more information.

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-10-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Weekday Work (10/31/11-11/4/11):

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If there is a problem, work on site could extend into the hours between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the western and central transit center sites, while buttress spoils removed from the eastern transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Activities will include:

Shoring & Excavation Work:

Shoring Wall: Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site inside the construction fence – Day Shift.

Buttress Wall: Installation of the buttress wall will continue in the eastern transit center site inside the construction fence between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Excavation Work: The Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will soon be complete. Excavation for the new Transit Center Building (including demolition of underground structures) will commence in early November and continue through the end of 2014. The excavation will begin in the west transit center site and continue to the east end. The contractor will be excavating to an average depth of about 60 to 65 feet. – Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Underground utilities work continues on First Street – Day Shift.

Mission Street (Between Second and Main Streets): Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street – Day Shift.

What to Expect Next Weekend (11/5/11 – 11/6/11):

Eastern Transit Center Site (Between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress preparation and construction activity is expected to continue in the eastern transit center site on Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Depending on progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (Between Fremont and First Streets): Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, November 5 – Day Shift.

Pre-trenching work will take place along Natoma Street behind 400 Howard on Saturday, November 5. All local access will enter and exit from Fremont Street. - Day Shift

Western Transit Center Site (Between First and Second Streets): Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall clean-up will take place inside the construction fence on Saturday, November 5.

First Street (Between Mission to Howard Streets): Utility work will take place along First Street. A multiple lane closure will be in effect Saturday, November 5. An SFPD 10B officer will be on site to direct access – Day Shift.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Pre-trenching will take place behind 400 Howard on Saturday, November 5. All local access will enter and exit from Fremont Street.– Day Shift.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead please review the affected streets below:

First Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Utility work will take place along First Street. Lane restrictions will be in effect on from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Fremont Street (Between Mission and Howard Streets): Pavement restoration work will take place along Fremont Street near Natoma. Lane restrictions will be in effect from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed.

Minna Street (Between First and Second Streets): Pavement restoration work will continue between First and Shaw Alley. Next week, beginning Monday, October 31 there will be a detour in accessing Minna Street resulting in the closure of the First Street entrance. Minna Street access will enter from Shaw Alley and exit at Second Street. Minna Street has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound), all parking meters are being removed and there will be no parking along Minna Street between First Street and 130 feet east of Second Street for the life of the project.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Natoma Street will be closed at First Street with all vehicles entering from Fremont Street. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street will remain available. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street.

Market Street and Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission between Second and Main Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

PG&E is performing night work along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets, which will continue into November. This work will result in lane restrictions along Beale Street and is not under the control or authority of the TJPA.

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:
If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:
Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Construction Activity Map: Check out the construction activity map at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates/construction-activity-map

Public Transit:
The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

BOMA Tells Super Committee Carried Interest Tax Increase will Hurt The Industry

2011-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

In a letter to the congressional super committee, BOMA International and 17 other national real estate organizations urged the panel to reject calls for a tax hike on partnership carried interest. Tasked with cutting up to $1.5 trillion in the federal budget deficit, the committee has less than five weeks to produce its plan. Operating largely in private, it is unclear whether it will ultimately come up with a plan that must be voted out of committee by November 23 and then receive an up or down vote by both chambers by December 23.

If Congress is unable to agree to these cuts, automatic Medicare and defense cuts will take effect.

BC3 Green Tenant Toolkit

2011-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to review the Green Tenant Toolkit offered by the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3). According to BC3, these tools will assist tenants and landlords in reaching their sustainability goals within commercial buildings. The objective is to enable and enhance partnerships with owners or managers, occupiers, and their agents to minimize operating costs, save water, manage energy, and reduce carbon emissions by identifying split incentives and offering best practice solutions. This toolkit is designed for use by tenants, occupiers, and owners of all classes and sizes of commercial buildings, and may be used at all points within the life cycle of the lease.

The Green Tenant Toolkit was based upon the recommendation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Existing Commercial Buildings (a task force co-chaired by BOMA San Francisco Board Member Steven Ring, Cushman & Wakefield), published in 2009. The Green Tenant Toolkit was developed by a diverse group of real estate and environmental professionals representing brokers, property management, large tenant groups, attorneys, electrical utilities, and design and construction experts. This group of professionals was convened by the Business Council on Climate Change and the San Francisco Department of the Environment. The toolkit was designed for San Francisco buildings, but may be adapted for use in any location.

UPDATE: BOMA San Francisco's 2011 Public Affairs Forum

2011-10-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

L to R: T. Falvey; L. Shahum; M. Freeman; H. Brownstone

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - October 24, 2011

BOMA San Francisco's 2011 Public Affairs Forum was held on October 6, 2011 to discuss two important topics: Animals and Bicycles in Commercial Buildings. Thank you to everyone who attended the event as well as our panelists and sponsor for their contribution. BOMA's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) produces the annual forum. If you're interested in meeting with those who propose or decide public policy and enjoy analyzing existing or proposed legislation and/or regulations to determine their impact on BOMA members, then please contact GAPAC Chair Richard Rabbitt, Esq., with Farella Braun + Martel LLP, 415-954-4959, rrabbitt@fbm.com.

L to R: W. Powell; A. Eidelhoch; S. Marco; H. Brownstone

Sponsored By

For those BOMA members who were unable to attend, please feel free to download the presentations (NOTE: large data downloads, please be patient) from our panelists:

Panel I Speakers

Hal Brownstone, GAPAC Vice Chair and Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle

Presentation: Practical Approaches to Dealing with Animals in Buildings

Arthur Eidelhoch, Littler Mendelson

Presentation: Service Animals in California

Shelia Marco, Senior Property Manager, Wilson Meany Sullivan

Presentation: Experience in Allowing Animals in a Commercial Building

Wes Powell, Vice President/Regional Leasing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

Presentation: Are We Going to the Dogs?

Panel II Speakers

Tim Falvey, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and President, Hanford Freund & Company

M. Freeman

Presentation: Discussion of the current legislation at City Hall: Tenant Bicycle Parking in Existing Buildings. (NOTE: The recent draft of this measure will be available for BOMA members' review this week via a separate blog posting.)

Mike Freeman, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and EVP Development & Investment Services, McCarthy Cook & Co. LLC

Presentation: Bicycles at China Basin Landing

Leah Shahum, Executive Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Presentation: Thoughts on the aforementioned Tenant Bicycle Parking in Existing Buildings Ordinance and Connecting the City: Crosstown Bikeways for Everyone

--------------------

Original Post - October 5. 2011

The members of BOMA San Francisco's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) have been unwavering in their diligence to produce a FREE Public Affairs Forum for BOMA members only on October 6th 2011.

Location: SFSU Downtown Center, 835 Market Street, Room 609

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Thank you to our sponsor!

The Forum will cover two salient topics facing the Commercial Real Estate Industry at present:

Panel I: Service Animals in Buildings - What's the Law & Practice in San Francisco? Come hear perspectives on an issue that can be difficult to manage. Attendees are encouraged to participate in the discussion and offer their opinions. Presenters will discuss the legal requirements to admit "service animals" and the definition of service animals.

Panel I Speakers:

Hal Brownstone, GAPAC Vice Chair and Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
Arthur Eidelhoch, Littler Mendelson
Shelia Marco, Senior Property Manager, Wilson Meany Sullivan
Wes Powell, Vice President/Regional Leasing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

Panel II: Bicycles in Buildings - Current regulations and proposed changes recently introduced at City Hall.

Panel II Speakers:

Tim Falvey, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and President, Hanford Freund & Company
Mike Freeman, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and EVP Development & Investment Services, McCarthy Cook & Co. LLC
Leah Shahum, Executive Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

On-line Registration

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-10-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Weekday Work (10/24/11-10/28/11):

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If there is a problem, work on site could extend into the hours of between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

Heavy equipment moves across on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets will take place on Monday, October 24 between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the western transit center site and buttress spoils will be removed from the central transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Activities will include:

Shoring & Excavation Prep:

Buttress wall installation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Pre-trenching work will continue along Natoma Street near 400 Howard Street between Fremont and First Streets - Day Shift.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will start in the central transit center site inside the construction fence - Day Shift.

Fabrication and Welding of I-beams for the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site - Day Shift.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site inside the construction fence - Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Underground utilities work continues on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets - Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Fremont Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Pre-trenching for CDSM wall along Fremont Street near Natoma - Day Shift.

Minna Street (First Street to Shaw Alley): Pavement restoration work will continue along Minna Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Natoma Street (between Fremont and First Streets): Trenching work near First Street- Day Shift. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Beale Street: Underground trenching and utilities work- Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street between Second Street and Main Street - Day Shift.

What to Expect Next Weekend (10/29/11 – 10/30/11):

Fremont Street 24 Hour Work: A multiple lane closure of Fremont Street between Howard and Mission Streets will be in effect starting 8:00 PM Friday, October 28 and extending through Monday, October 31 at 5:00 AM. Cement Deep Soil Mix (CDSM) shoring wall installation and related work will proceed 24 hours a day during this period. Lane restrictions will be in effect on Fremont Street between Howard and Mission Streets. An SFPD 10B Officer will be on site to direct access.

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress preparation and construction activity is expected to continue in the eastern transit center site Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Depending upon progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, October 29 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): CDSM spoils will be removed from the western transit center site on Saturday, October 29 - Day Shift.

Pre-trenching work will continue along Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets on Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 - Day Shift.

Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets: Pre-trenching work will continue near 400 Howard Street on Saturday, October 29 – Day Shift.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead please review the affected streets below:

Minna Street: Minna Street between First and Second Streets has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound). Next week, beginning Monday, October 24 there will be a detour with the First Street entrance closed. Minna Street access will be from Shaw Alley and exiting at Second Street.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Natoma Street will be closed at First Street with all vehicles entering from Fremont Street. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street will remain available. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street.

First Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Fremont Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed.

Beale Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Market Street and Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street between Second and Main Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

PG&E is performing night work along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets, which will continue into November. This work will result in lane restrictions along Beale Street and is not under the control or authority of the TJPA.

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Construction Activity Map: Check out the construction activity map at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates/construction-activity-map

Public Transit:

The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

Introducing the BOMA San Francisco Views Newsletter

2011-10-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA's quarterly newsletter, previously known as the BOMA Bulletin and now called BOMA Views, is on members' desks right now.

The print/digital publication presents news relevant to the organization and activities in a cleaner format that is more enjoyable to the reader and will be circulated to all BOMA member company employees. Click here or above to view the online version. If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact Tory Brubaker at toryb@boma.com, 415-362-2662 x115. Click here for a Media Kit.

U.S. Department of Energy Commercial Building Job/Task Analyses Available for Public Comment

2011-10-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The U.S. Department of Energy has opened up the six commercial building job/task analyses (JTAs) for public comment through the Commercial Building Initiative.

JTAs will help individuals identify opportunities to enhance their professional skills, enable industry to identify an appropriately skilled workforce, and allow training providers to ensure that they are providing the highest quality product possible. Additionally, the JTAs created through this project will be used by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to help meet the requirements of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010.”

JTAs were developed for the following six job categories:

Commercial Building Energy Auditors
Commercial Building Energy Modelers
Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authorities
Energy/Sustainability Managers
Facility Managers
Operating Engineers/Building Technicians

Feel free to pass this along to anyone who may be interested.

Background

The workforce guidance development process began by convening diverse groups of public and private sector industry practitioners – individuals who held the job they were describing (e.g., a group of Commercial Building Energy Modelers was convened to draft the Commercial Building Energy Modeler Job/Task Analysis). Active practitioners interested in participating in the Job/Task Analysis (JTA) development workshops were invited to submit their credentials through a publically announced online submission process. To meet the selection criteria, these industry experts had to be current, active practitioners and be available to attend the workshop in person. To ensure broad industry participation, the selection criteria also required that the group be diverse with respect to the following categories:

Geographic location
Years of experience
Organizational size
Sector (private and public)
Industry credentials held

Groups of 6-12 subject matter experts were selected for each job category. Led by a facilitator with expertise in developing and evaluating educational testing materials, each team worked collaboratively for two and a half days to create the JTA specific to their job category.

UPDATE: BOMA SF Op-Ed - What If You're At Work When the Big One Hits?

2011-10-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enarge

UPDATE - October 20, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake centered near Berkeley occurred at 2:41 p.m. according to City officials. If you haven't already, please consider sending Marc Intermaggio's op-ed piece on the topic of earthquakes and personal preparedness at work to the tenants in your building. Thank you for your consideration.

You can also get more preparedness information from BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee by clicking here.

-------------------

Original Post - Apri1 12, 2011

Please click on the print article, above or here, to read the op-ed piece, What if you're at work when the Big One hits?, by Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, published in the San Francisco Examiner on April 11, 2011.

In addition, please take a moment to visit BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee's webpage by clicking here.

UPDATE - BOMA San Francisco's Energy and Environment Committee

2011-10-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The following information was discussed at a recent meeting of BOMA San Francisco's Energy & Environment Committee:

Resources

PG&E has provided a summary of proposed electric rate changes for 2012. Click here for the details.
For PG&E's natural gas rate information click here.
The CPUC recently allowed PG&E to lift the suspension and resume gas energy efficiency incentives and rebates. Effective immediately, PG&E will begin processing the following incentive and rebate payments that were previously suspended, according to the terms of the respective applications and agreements and subject to the availability of funds:

Customized (calculated) incentives for all gas projects; and
Gas energy-efficiency rebates (also known as deemed or mass market rebates)
Gas energy-efficiency incentives and rebates funded under PG&E's Energy

Events

CCSF Benchmarking Webinar: “The Path to Energy Savings & The Existing Commercial Building Performance Ordinance.” October 21st, 2011, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM . To register, click here.
The 3rd Annual Commercial Interiors Contracts Award Event will be held on 10/26 at 5:30 pm at the Julia Morgan Ballroom. General Contractors compete to see whose building projects win, announced at the annual award event. There are a number of BOMA member GC’s that submitted projects. click here for more information and tickets.
PG&E Workshop: "Benchmarking Energy Use for Commercial Buildings" at the Pacific Energy Center, 851 Howard St. in San Francisco, on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Additionally, there is a "What's Next After Benchmarking" class immediately following at 1:00pm. Lunch will be served for those who stay for the afternoon session. To register, click here:
Silicon Valley USGBC Workshop 12/7/11: Greening Existing Buildings: Energy Retrofit Strategies (4.5 GBCI CE Hours).

Legislative Updates

Click the links below for information on some recent bills related to the green-washing issues we discussed at our the most recent Energy and Environment Committee meeting:

SB 567 (DeSaulnier) Truthful Environmental Advertising in Plastics. SB 567 bans the use of the deceptive environmental claim “biodegradable” and prohibits other greenwashing attempts unless manufacturer claims can meet specified pass-fail standards for plastics. The bill strengthens existing law by expanding these requirements on plastic bags and food containers to all plastic products, starting in January 2013.
AB 341 (Chesbro) Jobs & Recycling. AB 341 is the result of a hard-fought four year legislative campaign that establishes an ambitious new recycling paradigm for the state. AB 341 sets a 75 percent recycling goal for California by 2020—the most ambitious in the nation. Additionally, the measure requires every commercial business, institution and apartment building to implement recycling programs. By our calculations, AB 341 has the potential to create upwards of 60,000 jobs and reduce enough greenhouse gases equal to nearly 3 months of average household energy use. It would create green jobs by expanding recycling to every multi-family dwelling and business and would grant CalRecycle the responsibility for ensuring that the state is recycling at least 75% of the garbage that it generates by 2020. Note that San Francisco has already surpassed this goal.

If you have any questions, please contact Blake Peterson, Chair of the Energy & Environment Committee, at bpeterson@ashforthpacific.com.

Alliance for Jobs And Sustainable Growth Mobilization Effort for Ed Lee, George Gascon and Chris Cunnie

2011-10-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco is proud to be one of the founding members of the Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth (AFJASG) - a new jobs-focused coalition of business, labor and community organizations. The objective is to explore how local businesses, labor and community-based organizations can benefit by creating a working relationship to encourage economic development in San Francisco.

Please consider joining business and labor together to help build a better San Francisco at the AFJASG Countdown to Victory for Ed Lee for Mayor, George Gascon for District Attorney and Chris Cunnie for San Francisco Sheriff.

WHAT: Volunteer Mobilization

WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 2011

10 am to 2 pm

WHERE: At Gene Suttle Plaza

(at Fillmore and O’Farrell)

Street parking only

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Event on 10/26 - Regional Leadership Private Sector Conference

2011-10-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please take a moment to review the invitation from Nancy Ward, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Administrator, Region IX regarding the Regional Leadership Private Sector Conference on October 26th.

FEMA has been a fantastic public sector partner for BOMA San Francisco and we'd be honored if you would consider attending. You can find more information about preparedness issues on BOMA San Francisco's Emergency Preparedness Committee website by clicking here.

-------------------

Dear Stakeholders:

Just under a year ago, the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Craig Fugate, announced that a decisive and welcome rethinking of the way FEMA would protect against, prepare for, respond to and recover from, and mitigate against disasters would be instituted immediately. In a concept he named “Whole Community”, he made it clear that government alone did not have all the resources to handle all disaster activities without help. That help would require that government would include and engage non-profit organizations, the faith-based community and, most importantly, the private sector in emergency planning, response and recovery.

In FEMA Region IX, we want to help take those developing public/private partnerships to the next level. We have partnered with numerous state and local agencies and private sector stakeholders to present the first Regional Leadership Private Sector Conference, this year focused on “What’s In It for Us?” The goal of our conference is to showcase best practices of collaboration in the morning and a series of 30-minute “how-to” workshops that you can select from in the afternoon.

This fast paced one-day event will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building, Edward R. Royal Auditorium & Conference Center, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, California, 94612. Required for Admission - Please bring photo identification for security at the entrance and allow plenty of time to obtain your name badge and find your seat by 8:30 a.m. Seating is very limited so register early at http://femaconference.eventbrite.com . The conference site is accessible by BART at 12th Street City Center in Oakland, CA and public parking is available at multiple lots in the area.

Specifically, this conference will address two timely questions in public/private sector collaboration before, during and after a disaster:

1) For the private sector – How can partnering with local, county or state government really add to my bottom line or help me plan for, respond to and recover from a disaster to ensure that my organization has the highest chance of survival?

2) For the public sector of local, county or state partners – How have others in the government worked with the private sector successfully and what is the private sector really looking for from the government before, during and after a disaster?

This event will be presented in two parts:

Morning Sessions: Best-Practice Case Studies

Proven public/private partnerships at the State level
Successful integration of the private sector in your EOC
Private sector “best practices” in working with government agencies

Afternoon Sessions: 30-Minute Workshops Include:

How to Motivate Senior Management to Collaborate with Government

How to Integrate Private Sector Liaisons in Your EOC?

How Do You Use Social Media During Disasters
How to Prepare Your Facility for Possible Use During Disasters
How to Make Your Donations More Effective

Please feel free to contact Michael Cummings, our Private Sector Liaison, at Michael.Cummings@fema.gov or 510-541-1521 for any additional information or questions you might have about our conference.

Security Advisory: This event is being held at a federal facility. Please bring one valid form of the following identification that includes a photograph: State issued driver’s license – OR – U.S. Passport. A photo ID from any federal agency will also be accepted. Also please do not bring any knives, OC/Mace or weapons into the facility without law enforcement photo ID.

Thank you for your support to the emergency management goals of FEMA Region IX.

Sincerely,

Nancy Ward
Regional Administrator
FEMA Region IX

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-10-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Weekday Work (10/17/11-10/21/11):

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If there is a problem, work on site could extend into the hours of between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the western transit center site and buttress spoils will be removed from the central transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Activities will include:

Shoring & Excavation Prep:

Buttress wall installation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Trenching prior to Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site at Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets - Day Shift.

Welding of I-beams for installation in the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site between Fremont and First Streets - Day Shift.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site at Natoma Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Underground Utilities work will commence on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets - Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Minna Street (First to Shaw Alley): Pavement restoration work will continue along Minna Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Natoma Street (between Fremont and First Streets): Trenching work near First Street- Day Shift. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Beale Street: Underground trenching and utilities work- Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street between Main and Beale Streets - Day Shift.

What to Expect Next Weekend (10/22/11 – 10/23/11):

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress construction is expected to continue in the eastern transit center site Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Depending upon progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, October 22 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue inside the construction fence at both Minna Street and Natoma Street between First and Second Streets on Saturday, October 22 - Day Shift.

Heavy Equipment moves across on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets will take place from Saturday, October 22 through Tuesday, October 25 between 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM.

Pre-trenching work will continue along Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets on Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23 - Day Shift.

Pavement restoration work will continue along Natoma Street between First and Second Streets on Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23 - Day Shift.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead please review the affected streets below:

Minna Street: Between First and Second Streets has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound) with all vehicles coming in from First Street. Next week, beginning Monday, October 17 there will be a detour with the First Street entrance closed. Minna Street access will be from Shaw Alley exiting at Second Street.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Natoma Street will be closed at First Street with all vehicles entering from Fremont Street. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street will remain available. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street.

First Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The eastern sidewalk is also affected and pedestrians must use the temporary sidewalk in the parking lane on the west side of First Street until further notice.

Fremont Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed. Next week the western sidewalk is affected and pedestrians must use the temporary sidewalk in the parking lane on the west side of Fremont Street until end of the week.

Beale Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Market Street and Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission and Market Street between Main and First Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

PG&E is performing night work along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets, which will continue into November. This work will result in lane restrictions along Beale Street and is not under the control or authority of the TJPA.

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:
If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call the construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:

Please continue to check our website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Construction Activity Map: Check out the construction activity map at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates/construction-activity-map

Public Transit:

The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

Legislative Update from BOMA California - Another Successful Year for the Industry

2011-10-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

It was another successful year for the commercial real estate industry at the State Capitol in Sacramento thanks to our indefatigable advocates at BOMA California: Rex Hime and Matthew Hargrove.

Recently, Governor Jerry Brown acted on over 500 bills. He vetoed approximately 14% of the bills on his desk, which is much less than the previous incumbents' veto rate (which was about a quarter), but is just slightly higher than the overall average.

One bill of significance to our industry that was vetoed is SB 469 by Senator Juan Vargas from San Diego. This bill would have used the statewide California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process to require additional economic impact reports on local governments for certain types of development. The bill was to effect big-box stores, although the measure would have had a very negative impact on all types of development.

Governor Brown stated in his veto message:

While I recognize that the merits of large-scale projects need to be carefully considered plenty of laws are already on the books that enable, and in some cases require, cities and counties to carefully assess whether these projects are in a community's best interest. This bill would add yet another layer of review to an already cumbersome process.

This was the crux of BOMA California's argument.

Coupled with the defeat of AB 350, bills on Proposition 13/split roll property tax, commercial rent control, defeating a measure to change the 3-day notice law, a bill that would have allowed libel lawsuits during unlawful detainer actions, and helping to negotiate the sales tax collection deal with Amazon, this is ANOTHER huge win for our industry!

For a full reading of the Governors SB 469 message and the text of the press release by CBPA praising the governor on this action click on the link below. You can read the press release by clicking here.

VETO MESSAGE

SB 469 (Vargas; D-San Diego) Mandates an Additional Economic Impact Report on Big Box Development

http://gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_469_Veto_Message.pdf

UPDATE: San Francisco Mobile Food Facilities Permits

2011-10-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

Click here to download a detailed version of the Mobile Food Facility Permits map

BOMA San Francisco Members:

What happens next? - Protests, Denial, DPW Administrative Hearing and Permit Appeals
Check Scheduled Hearings

-------------------

We've received two Mobile Food Facilities permit applications:

You can click here to review the MMF permit requests we've received to date.

Acterra Business Environmental Awards Program - Call for Applications: 2012 Business Environmental Awards

2011-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Call for Applications: 2012 Business Environmental Awards

Applications for Acterra’s 2012 Business Environmental Awards are now available at www.acterra.org/bea.

The Sustainable Built Environment category rewards a building project that conserves natural resources and promotes the health and well-being of its occupants. Recent recipients have included: Adobe Systems Incorporated, Humane Society Silicon Valley Animal Community Center, Metro Lighting, and the Town of Portola Valley.

Any private or public business entity, division or facility located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Santa Cruz County is eligible to apply.

Applications are due by 11:59 pm on December 9, 2011. Early bird deadline is November 15th.

Join the San Francisco County Transportation Authority's Citizen Advisory Committee

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Join the Citizens Advisory Committee to help the San Francisco County Transportation Authority's Citizens Advisory Committee (SFCTA) Optimize Mobility in San Francisco.

Interested in the Transbay Transit Center? Central Subway? Safer streets and sidewalks? Bike lanes? Over the past decade the CAC has helped the Authority Board guide the investment of nearly $1 billion in transportation funds into projects that improve mobility for all.

Your voice is needed on the CAC. Help them plan for the future of transportation in San Francisco.

Opportunities

There is currently one vacancy on the Authority's Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The Plans and Programs Committee will be considering the incumbent and other applicants to fill this vacancy at its meeting on November 8 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, Room 263. They are looking for ethnic diversity and district representation for District 7.

Requirements

The Authority accepts applications on a continuous basis. Applicants are required to attend one of the Authority's Plans and Programs Committee meetings to speak on their own behalf. Note that appearing before the committee is a prerequisite for appointment, though not a guarantee. The Committee will then make recommendations for appointments to the full Authority Board of Commissioners, which makes the final decision.

New applicants will be notified about the time and location of these meetings. Once your application is received, it will remain active for two years. Your application will be considered for any openings, unless you submit a letter withdrawing your candidacy. You must be a San Francisco resident.

Role of the Citizens Advisory Committee

The Authority has appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) consisting of eleven members representing a broad spectrum of transportation and community concerns. The CAC's mission is to assist the Authority by reflecting community values in the development of the mission and programs of the Authority; and communicating information about the Authority's mission and programs back to the community. The CAC accomplishes this mission by providing the Commissioners and staff of the Authority with input on nearly all matters that go before the Authority Board and its standing committees.This includes providing comments on transportation plans, programs and studies; the Prop. K (half-cent sales tax) Expenditure Plan and Strategic Plan; project funding priorities; transportation-related legislation; and community transportation concerns.

How to Apply

Applications are due Wednesday, November 2, 2011. The Plans and Programs Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 8 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, Room 263. Visit www.sfcta.org/cac to download an application, or contact the Authority at 415.522.4800 for mailing options.

UPDATE: BOMA's Guide to the New ADA Standards + Webinar on ADA Building Codes and Standards

2011-10-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

UPDATE - October 12, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Have you scheduled alterations, renovations, tenant improvements or new construction in your building in the coming months? Did you know that your plans could be impacted by the recently revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations -- the first major update to the ADA since the regulations were first published in 1991?

After March 15, 2012, new construction and alterations will be required to comply with the new ADA Standards adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2010. These new regulations are going to affect many areas of construction/renovation including front and side reach ranges, employee work spaces, restrooms, parking garages, fitness centers, and more. Find out what you need to know and how you should prepare, to ensure you're ADA compliant.

BOMA Webinar: Understanding the 2010 ADA Building Codes and Standards

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Speaker

Ron Burton

VP of Codes and Standards

BOMA International

Click here to view Bio

You'll learn:

Updates on changes in the access requirements
What you need to know to comply with new requirements
How the new regulations will affect your building
New requirements for accessible routes on a variety of building elements
And more!

--------------------

Original Post - October 12, 2011

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The Guide to the 2010 ADA Standards, brought to you by BOMA International, who "wrote the book" on ADA compliance 20 years ago, is a follow–up to BOMA’s groundbreaking 1991 ADA Compliance Guidebook: A Checklist for Your Building, the 1992 ADA Answer Book and the BOMA ADA Compliance System, and the 2003 Guide to ADA & Accessibility Regulations.

BOMA’s new ADA Guidebook is the most up–to–date and comprehensive analysis of the new ADA regulations, unmatched by anything else in the marketplace. The Guidebook helps property professionals understand and implement the revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards implementing Title III of the ADA, adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2010.

The Guide to the 2010 ADA Standards includes updated requirements for accessible routes and a variety of building elements, including employee work spaces, restrooms, reach ranges, sales and service counters, stairways, telephones, special rooms and spaces, recreation facilities and much more.

Important – ADA Compliance Deadline Coming in March

After March 15, 2012, new construction and alterations are required to comply with the 2010 ADA Standards. Don’t be taken by surprise. Act now to ensure you’re ADA compliant.

UPDATE: We Need Your Feedback! Voluntary National Asset Rating Program for Commercial Buildings

2011-10-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - October 11, 2011

On September 22, BOMA International filed comments with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in response to a Notice of Request for Information on DOE’s plans to develop a voluntary National Asset Rating Program for Commercial Buildings (AR Program). The AR Program would establish an asset rating system for commercial buildings based on a national standard and would evaluate physical characteristics and as–built energy efficiency of these buildings. DOE plans to have an initial program design available soon and will launch a pilot program in early 2012, though they have promised that there will be future opportunities for stakeholders to provide input.

BOMA International outlined several concerns in its comments about this type of program. First and foremost, BOMA questioned the need for the AR Program, when there are already several programs, certifications and tools available in the marketplace. In addition, though DOE calls it a "voluntary" program, we have concerns that states and cities may mandate it as they move forward on benchmarking and disclosure laws. With that in mind, it is critical that DOE gets this right and BOMA will continue to participate in the ongoing dialogue.

------------------

Original Post - August 16, 2011

Recently, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on their plans to develop a voluntary National Asset Rating Program for Commercial Buildings (AR Program). The AR Program would establish an Asset Rating system for commercial buildings based on a national standard and would evaluate physical characteristics and as-built energy efficiency of these buildings.

DOE is seeking comments on or before September 22, 2011. DOE plans to have an initial program design available by the end of September. Obviously, for them to have a program designed by the end of September, just eight days after comments are due, implies that this program is well underway. Nevertheless, BOMA International plans to provide comments, and we encourage you all to as well.

Please review the RFI and submit your comments before the deadline. If you submit the information to DOE, we would love to receive a copy of your comments.

Also, Karen Penafiel (kpenafiel@boma.org), Vice President of Advocacy at BOMA International, is asking for BOMA members to provide any comments or thoughts to help BOMA International draft a response. Karen will need all industry comments no later than September 9 to give her time to draft our response.

BOMA has several concerns regarding this type of program. First and foremost, though DOE calls it a “voluntary” program, it will likely be adopted by states/cities as they move forward on benchmarking and disclosure laws. With that in mind, it’s critical that DOE gets this right. It is also very unclear how the AR Program will fit in and coordinate with the existing Operational Rating system, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

The DOE RFI can be accessed at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-08/pdf/2011-20014.pdf

San Francisco Controller and Mayor's Budget Director Speak to BOMA Members

2011-10-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

BOMA San Francisco's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) members welcomed San Francisco Controller, Ben Rosenfield and Rich Wilson, Mayor Ed Lee's Budget Director to provide an update on the San Francisco budget: what happened in FY 2011-2012 and looking forward to FY 2012-2013.

Please click here to review the presentation (NOTE: large data download). It was well received, and we thank both Mr. Rosefield and Mr. Wilson for taking the time to meet with the GAPAC members.

BOMA SF Op-Ed in the San Francisco Examiner - America's Cup will be Community Benefit Windfall for SF

2011-10-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please click on the print article, above or here, to read the op-ed piece, America's Cup will be community benefit windfall for SF, by Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President, published in the San Francisco Examiner on October 9, 2011.

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Weekend Work (10/8/11 – 10/9/11):

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress preparation and maintenance activities in the eastern transit center site Saturday, October 8 and Sunday, October 9 between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Depending upon progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for installation in the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, October 8 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): CDSM preparation and maintenance activities in the eastern transit center site will continue inside the construction fence at both Minna Street and Natoma Street between First and Second Streets on Saturday, October 8 - Day Shift.

Weekday Work (10/10/11-10/14/11):

Night Shift - The First Street Underground Utilities Phase 2 work will be installed Monday, October 10 through Sunday, October 16. This installation operation will continue on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets between the hours of 4:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If there is a problem, work on site could extend into the hours of between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the western transit center site and buttress spoils will be removed from the central transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Activities will include:

Shoring & Excavation Prep:

Buttress wall installation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site at Minna Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site at Natoma Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Welding of I-beams for installation in the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site between Fremont and First Streets - Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Underground Utilities Phase 2 will commence on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets between the hours of 4:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

First Street (Corner of Natoma Street): Underground trenching, utilities work, and pavement restoration - Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Natoma Street (between Fremont and First Streets): Trenching work near First Street- Day Shift. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Beale Street: Underground trenching and utilities work- Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street between Main and Beale Streets - Day Shift.

What to Expect Next Weekend (10/15/11 – 10/16/11):

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress construction is expected to continue in the eastern transit center site Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Depending upon progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, October 15 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue inside the construction fence at both Minna Street and Natoma Street between First and Second Streets on Saturday, October 15 - Day Shift.

Pre-trenching work will continue along Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets on Saturday, October 15 - Day Shift.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead please review the affected streets below:

Minna Street: Between First and Second Streets has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound) with all vehicles coming in from First Street. Next week, beginning Monday, October 10 there will be a detour with the Second Street entrance closed. Minna Street access will be from First Street exiting at Shaw Alley. Next week, beginning Thursday, October 13 there will be a detour with Shaw Alley closed and the entrance to Minna Street will be from First Street exiting at Second Street.

Natoma Street (Between Fremont and First Streets): Natoma Street will be closed at First Street with all vehicles entering from Fremont Street. Local access to 400 Howard Street is available from Fremont Street.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street will remain available. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street.

First Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The eastern sidewalk is also affected and pedestrians must use the temporary sidewalk in the parking lane on the west side of First Street until further notice.

Fremont Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed. Pedestrians must use the west sidewalk of Fremont Street until further notice.

Beale Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site.

Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed along Mission Street between Main and Beale Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

PG&E is performing night work along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets, which will continue into November. This work will result in lane restrictions along Beale Street and is not under the control or authority of the TJPA.

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call our construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:

Please continue to check the TJPA website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Construction Activity Map: Check out the construction activity map at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates/construction-activity-map

Public Transit:

The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

UPDATE: San Francisco Mobile Food Facilities Permits

2011-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

Click here to download a detailed version of the Mobile Food Facility Permits map

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - As of October 6, 2011

We've received two Mobile Food Facilities permit applications:

You can click here to review the MMF permit requests we've received to date.

A Message from Marc Intermaggio, BOMA San Francisco's Executive Vice President

2011-10-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

To: BOMA San Francisco Members

From: Marc Intermaggio, CAE, Executive Vice President

Subject: ROI on Your BOMA Membership

Dear Valued Colleague,

As the voice of commercial real estate industry, BOMA delivers value to you as a commercial real estate professional, and to your company as an owner, investor, or operator of real estate. BOMA has been a unified and effective voice on commercial property issues for a century.

BOMA provides:

Legislative and regulatory advocacy that protects private property rights, preserves asset value, and keeps operating costs down!
“Best Practice” training to ensure efficient, effective property operations and profitability
Access to a dynamic network of local, state, national and worldwide industry contacts -- rich with knowledge and experience… that supports your professional development as well as your company’s business objectives

Simply stated we’re your guide to the jungle of local/state/national politics, your last line of defense against bad laws, your representative at the collective bargaining table, and your partner in workforce recruitment and training. We help you succeed!

Our latest advocacy success killed California Assembly Bill 350, which would have dictated building service employee hiring practices – including security staff, janitors, window cleaners and others. AB 350 required new vendors or building owners to retain all employees of prior contractors for 90 days whenever a service or ownership change occurred. Putting government in charge of who businesses must hire – even if it meant a company would have to fire its own employees to hire another company’s workers and erode the quality of their service, was wrong. And so BOMA funded an effort to halt government interference with private employment practices.

This is what we do for our members every day… continuously delivering value to commercial property professionals and benefitting our industry.

UPDATE: San Francisco Mobile Food Facilities Permits

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

Click here to download a detailed version of the Mobile Food Facility Permits map

BOMA San Francisco Members:

UPDATE - As of October 5, 2011

We've received one Mobile Food Facilities permit application:

Link 1

You can click here to review the MMF permit requests we've received to date.

BOMA San Francisco's FREE Public Affairs Forum - October 6th

2011-10-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

The members of BOMA San Francisco's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) have been unwavering in their diligence to produce a FREE Public Affairs Forum for BOMA members only on October 6th 2011.

Location: SFSU Downtown Center, 835 Market Street, Room 609

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Thank you to our sponsor!

Panel I Speakers:

Hal Brownstone, GAPAC Vice Chair and Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
Arthur Eidelhoch, Littler Mendelson
Wes Powell, Vice President/Regional Leasing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

Panel II: Bicycles in Buildings - Current regulations and proposed changes recently introduced at City Hall.

Panel II Speakers:

Tim Falvey, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and President, Hanford Freund & Company
Mike Freeman, BOMA SF-PAC Board Member and EVP Development & Investment Services, McCarthy Cook & Co. LLC
Leah Shahum, Executive Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

On-line Registration

A Look Ahead: Transbay Demolition and Construction Activities

2011-09-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Weekend Work (10/1/11 – 10/2/11):

First Street 24 Hour Work: Work on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets will restrict traffic to a single lane starting 8:00 PM Friday, September 30 continuing through 5:00 AM Monday, October 3. Cement Deep Soil Mix (CDSM) shoring wall installation will require the multiple lane closure. We suggest using Second or Beale Streets as alternate routes during this time.

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): The Buttress wall installation operation will continue inside the transit center site with minimal work including surveyors, equipment set-up and maintenance on Saturday, October 1 - Day Shift.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the transit center site on Saturday, October 1 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): The installation of the Concrete Deep Soil Mix (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the transit center site on Saturday, October 1 - Day Shift.

Weekday Work (10/3/11-10/7/11):

Night Shift - The buttress wall installation operation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. There will be minimal work on site between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If issues arise, work on site could extend into the hours between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM.

CDSM spoils will be removed from the western transit center site and buttress spoils will be removed from the central transit center site during the night shift from 7:00 PM to 2:30 AM.

Day Shift - All contractors will work between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Activities will include:

Shoring & Excavation Prep:

Buttress wall installation will continue in the eastern transit center site between Beale and Fremont Streets between the hours of 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site at Minna Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue in the western transit center site at Natoma Street between First and Second Streets - Day Shift.

Welding of I-beams for installation in the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue in the central transit center site between Fremont and First Streets - Day Shift.

Underground Utilities/Trenching:

First Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Underground trenching, utilities work, and pavement restoration - Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

Beale Street (from Mission to Howard Streets): Pavement and sidewalk restoration - Day Shift. Traffic lanes will be reduced to accommodate this work.

What to Expect Next Weekend (10/8/11 – 10/9/11):

Eastern Transit Center Site (between Beale and Fremont Streets): Buttress construction is expected to continue in the eastern transit center site Saturday, October 8 and Sunday, October 9 between 6:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Depending upon progress in the coming week, the hours of operation and level of activity may be reduced.

Central Transit Center Site (between Fremont and First Streets): Welding of I-beams for installation in the Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall will continue inside the construction fence on Saturday, October 8 - Day Shift.

Western Transit Center Site (between First and Second Streets): Cement Deep Soil Mixing (CDSM) shoring wall installation will continue inside the construction fence at both Minna Street and Natoma Street between First and Second Streets on Saturday, October 8 - Day Shift.

Pre-trenching work will continue along Natoma Street between Fremont and First Streets on Saturday, October 8 from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Detours, Street and Sidewalk Closures:

The following streets will be temporarily impacted due to project activities. So you can plan ahead please review the affected streets below:

Minna Street: Between First and Second Streets has been reduced to one lane, one way (west bound) with all vehicles coming in from First Street. Beginning mid-week, there will be a detour closing access to or from Second Street. Access to Minna Street will be from First Street and will exit at Shaw alley.

Natoma Street (Between First and Second Streets): Natoma Street has been changed to a dead end street for the life of the project with no vehicle access to Natoma Street from Second Street. Of course local pedestrian access from Second Street to businesses on Natoma Street near Second Street will remain available. Local access to 500 Howard Street is available to and from First Street.

First Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on First Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. Pedestrians must use the temporary sidewalk in the parking lane on the west side of First Street until further notice.

Fremont Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. The east sidewalk of Fremont Street between Mission and Howard Streets will remain closed. Pedestrians must use the west sidewalk on Fremont Street until further notice.

Beale Street: Lane restrictions will be in effect on Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. SFPD will be on site. Pedestrians must use the temporary sidewalk in the parking lane on the east sidewalk of Beale Street until further notice. The east sidewalk of Beale Street between Mission and Howard Streets will be restored this week.

Mission Street: Potholing work will be performed Monday, October 3 through Friday, October 7 along Mission Street between Main and First Streets from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

PG&E is performing night work along Beale Street between Market and Mission Streets, which will continue into November. This work will result in lane restrictions along Beale Street and is not under the control or authority of the TJPA.

Reminder: Community Meeting

Join us on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 to learn more about construction activities, buttress and shoring wall construction, trestle bridges, street closures and hours of activity. The community meeting will be held from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the TJPA’s offices located at 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100. We appreciate that you are taking your lunch hour to learn more about this exciting project, and would of course welcome you to bring food or drinks to this meeting.

What: Community Meeting: Transbay Construction Update

When: Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Time: 12:00 Noon

Where: Transbay Joint Powers Authority

201 Mission Street, Suite 2100

San Francisco, CA 94105

Questions?

Should you have any general questions about the Transbay Transit Center Project, please call Adam Alberti or Stephanie Reichin, Transbay Outreach Team, at: (415) 227-9700 or via e-mail at: info@transbaycenter.org

Construction Hotline:

If you have any urgent questions regarding site-specific demolition or construction activities, please call our construction activity number: (415) 409-TJPA (8572).

Website:

Please continue to check the TJPA website for the most up to date schedule of activities at: http://transbaycenter.org/construction-updates

Public Transit:

The TJPA encourages the use of public transportation. Please click on the link provided to assist in all of your public transportation travel needs: http://511.org/ or visit www.temporaryterminal.org

San Francisco Small Business Network Mega-Mixer - October 20, 2011

2011-09-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

BOMA San Francisco Members:

Please consider attending the San Francisco Small Business Network's (SBN) Mega-Mixer on Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Don Ramon's - 225 11th Street.

Members of the SBN's Member Organizations: $10

Non-Members: $20

To RSVP, contact Ramsey Moureu

execdirector@sfsbn.org

or 415-661-3860

For further information, please visit

the SBN website at www.sfsbn.org

BOMA San Francisco has been involved with the SBN for many years we hope to see you there!