The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of greater New York (BOMA/NY)
codes and regulations/government affairs committee hosted a special seminar in
response to the World Trade Center tragedy. "Rebuilding the Skyline"
featured speakers from the large collection of businesses and government agencies
that are involved in the restoration of downtown Manhattan. The unique seminar
also featured hand-outs about terrorism; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
systems; and protocol for handling suspicious packages.
"On September 11th, we were not surprised, we were horrified and shocked,
but not surprised," says Edward Fallon, director of operations, Brookfield
Financial Properties, New York City. Fallon emphasized how having an effective
evacuation plan and good cooperation with other companies saved countless lives
the day of the tragedy. The speakers all detailed the Herculean coordinated effort
to restore functionality to the affected region.
Representatives from communications and utilities companies discussed the extraordinary
work performed in conjunction with building owners to restore services quickly.
Some of the facilities in the Wall Street area are very old with several generations
of outdated technologies. According to Paul Crotty, group president for public
policy and external affairs-New York/Connecticut, Verizon Communications, New
York City, this historic region will be rebuilt with state-of-the-art communications
technology.
"We want to get to where we were before September 11th," says Deputy
Mayor Robert Harding, New York City. Harding addressed the funding of the massive
rebuilding effort as well as local environmental and safety concerns. Representatives
from New York City's police and fire departments stressed tightening security
measures such as centralizing messenger services and increased fire drills. Adds
Chief Michael Butler, chief of fire prevention, New York Fire Department, New
York City, "Building owners and the employees themselves have an obligation
to know how to get out of buildings."
The special seminar's main message was that building owners and facilities managers
have an opportunity to rebuild better and smarter than before. "It is a tribute
to everyone involved that no matter how hard we get hit we can get back up,"
says Fallon.
- Regina Raiford, Senior Editor
Moynihan Wins ULI's
J.C. Nichols Prize
Former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a widely renown urban design expert,
won the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute's J.C. Nichols Prize for
Visionary Urban Development. The award honors Moynihan's lifelong dedication
to excellence in urban design, public building architecture, and community revitalization
issues.
Moynihan's 40-plus years of public service include serving as counselor for
urban affairs to President Nixon, cabinet-level and sub-cabinet-level positions
in four presidential administrations, and revitalizing Washington, D.C.'s Pennsylvania
Avenue. "What we did once, we can do again, and this time, we can do it
even better," says Moynihan in response to the recent attacks. The $100,000
annual prize is for individuals or institutes that have demonstrated a high
commitment to responsible development.
WTC Exhibition
The Skyscraper Museum, New York City, had originally planned to hold a lecture
series this fall on the World Trade Center at the Windows on the World restaurant
on the 106th floor of Tower 1. The considerable research on the twin towers
will now be presented as a major exhibition at the New York Historical Society
galleries in early February.
Parents as Teachers Van Makes First Stop
To support parents who work outside of the home in Michigan, the Life Services
System (LSS) is putting a Parents as Teachers van on the road to provide informational
materials to parents in various community settings. Holland, MI-based office
furnishings manufacturer Trendway partnered with LSS to show its support for
it employees as parents.
Trendway employees and their children attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony,
which featured crafts, story-telling, and other kid-friendly activities. The
emphasis of the program is to help working parents spend quality time with their
children. The van program is an outreach of the LSS Parent Information Resource
Center, which is funded by the Department of Education. The LSS's other services
for corporations include brown bag lunch sessions, playgroups, informational
hand-outs, and parenting tips.
