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Solution for Building Owners and Managers
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IN THIS ISSUE: Office Market Forecast
Spring 2011Spring 2011
2 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
In the current economy, partnering with the right vendors is critical to buildingoperations. Building owners and managers don’t have the budget or time totolerate over-promising, under-delivering vendors. Whether it’s a serviceagreement or a new project, choosing the right vendor is critical. Vendors are anextension of your organization and can have a negative or positive impact onyour building’s appearance, functionality and bottom line.
As a building owner or manager you must understand what your needs are inorder to make the right vendor selection. Knowing if the vendor has a local,regional or national footprint can be an important piece of information in theselection process. Sometimes choosing a local vendor allows for a closerrelationship with the crew actually performing the service. If you managemultiple facilities, a regional or national vendor may have more comprehensiveservices and capabilities, saving you time and money on contracts and billing.
Other considerations when selecting a vendor include: Do they have reportingcapabilities that can be shared in order to improve efficiencies? Can they offer asingle point-of-contact that can be reached at any time? What are theirprocedures for emergencies, and do they have the ability to respond quickly?Oftentimes, you won’t find a vendor that matches your needs exactly. In thatcase, the vendor you select should be adaptable and present creative solutions.
The articles and advertising appearing in Oregon Facilities are aimed at helpingbuilding owners and managers make informed decisions regarding construction,modernization and management of their buildings. If you have comments orsuggestions, please feel free to contact us. We want to share your stories aboutbest practices and successful vendor relationships.
Editorial AssistantBrooklyn Ashy
Art DirectorDoug Conboy
Contributing Writers
Managing EditorOregon Facilities
Oregon FacilitiesPO Box 970281, Orem, Utah 84097Office: 801.224.5500 / Fax: 801.407.1602JengoMedia.com
EDITOR’S LETTER CONTENTS
The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in Oregon Facilities. The information contained within has been obtained from sources believedto be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professionaladvice should be sought before making decisions.
Copyright 2011 Oregon Facilities Magazine. Oregon Facilities is a Trademark owned by Jengo Media LC
PublisherTravis [email protected]
Managing EditorKelly [email protected]
AdvertisingThomas [email protected]
Oregon Facilities is a proudBOMA National Associate member.
CONTACT US
14
489
111318192022
Curt LundineJohn MedakEric Baxter
Katie MillerDavid LyonsDerek J. Bliss
BetterBricks Awards
LEED EBOM
Disaster Preparedness
Elevators
Security
Landscaping
Office Forecast
Boilers
Briefly
On the cover:Construction of the Port of Portlandwas directed by Bill Wyatt, executivedirector, who received the Oregon/SWWashington BetterBricksOwner/Developer Award. Photocourtesy Port of Portland.
The OldSpaghetti FactoryThe OldSpaghetti Factory
OREGON BUILDINGS SUMMER 2010 I 3
4 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
Oregon/SW WashingtonBetterBricksAwardsAnnual Awards Recognize Leadersin Commercial Real Estate Industrywho Aim for SustainabilityBy Kelly Lux
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 5
T he Lewis & Clark Facilities
Services Team, under thedirection of Richard Bettega, has
implemented more than 60 energyconservation projects on the Lewis &Clark campus during the last twodecades. The team’s efforts in reducingannual electricity consumption by4,220,000 kWh and annual natural gasconsumption by 240,000 therms, amongother conservation measures, helped toearn them the Oregon/SW WashingtonBetterBricks Awards in the FacilityManager/Operator Category.
Facility Manager/Operator Award“We are thrilled to be recognized by
BetterBricks. It’s always gratifying whenour energy efficiency and conservationefforts are recognized outside of ourorganization,” said Bettega. “I believeour team received this award because ofour consistent application ofconservation technology and methods,which have resulted in significantmeasurable reductions over time.”
The BetterBricks Awards recognizeindividuals like the Lewis & ClarkFacilities Team in the commercialbuilding industry who are leading theway for high performance commercial
buildings with an emphasis on energyefficiency. For eight years, the NorthwestEnergy Efficiency Alliance’s BetterBricksinitiative has been awarding buildingowners, designers, engineers, architects,operations staff and service professionalsand other building professionalsthroughout the Northwest for theircommitment to sustainability. Awardcategories include architect, designengineer, advocate, owner/developer,facility manager/operator, emergingleader and property manager.
BetterBricks is the commercialbuilding initiative of the NEEA, whichis supported by Northwest electricutilities. Through BetterBricks, NEEAadvances ideas to accelerate energysavings in new and existing commercialbuildings. BetterBricks education andtraining, online resources andrecognition of industry leaders guideand inspire building professionals toembrace best practices, improve energyperformance and achieve theirsustainability goals.
“The Lewis & Clark community isacutely aware and interested inenvironmental and sustainabilityinitiatives,” Bettega said. “Our teamreflects this value in its facilitymanagement approach, in both short-term work and long-term projects.”
Energy conservation projects doneby the Lewis & Clark Team includelighting and controls upgrades, steamvalve replacement, installation of energymanagement systems, retro-commissioning and controls tunes,installation of VFDs, boilerreplacements, central plant upgrades,installation of building level energymeters and installation of sub-metersfor major equipment. In the last fiveyears, the college, through the efforts ofthe facilities services team, has saved 14percent in total electricity consumed,21 percent in natural gas consumed andreduced its total gross greenhouse gasemissions by 27 percent.
“The team, and the college that itsupports, has been successful due to acombination of bread-and-butterconservation projects and far-reaching,forward-thinking projects that set(them) apart,” said award nominatorChristy Love, an environmentalperformance analyst for Mazzetti NashLipsey Burch.
The Rose Quarter Operations Team,which manages the Rose Garden Arenafor the Portland Trail Blazers, was afinalist for the Facility Manager/Operator Category due to their recentcommitment and actions towardsustainability. Nearly three years ago, theorganization decided to investigate howtheir activities impacted the environmentand to minimize their carbon footprint
continued on page 6
through sustainable measures.The operations team implemented
several energy efficient projects,including energy audits to identifyfurther measures, lighting retrofits,changes to building operations plans,development of sequence of operationsand sub-metering to isolate and measureadditional facility building operations.The team also performed envelopestudies, increased controls andimplemented on-going commissioningand lighting/energy sweeps.Additionally, the Rose Quarterdedicated a week in April tosustainability, educating the public onhow they could decrease energydemands and increase recycling. Blazerfans were encouraged to walk, bike andcarpool to the events. The company alsoreplaced gas-powered vehicles withelectrical vehicles and bicycles.
“These measures have reformed theculture of the organization into onethat constantly and consistently looksfor ways to enhance our building andreduce our environmental footprint,”said award nominator Justin Zeulner,director of sustainability and planningfor the Rose Quarter Arena.
The efforts of the Rose Quarter
Operations Team were instrumental inearning the Rose Garden ArenaLeadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) ExistingBuilding Gold certification.The arenanow saves more than two million kWh’sannually and focuses its efforts onsustainable purchasing strategies, indoorenvironmental air quality and buildingenvelope enhancements.
Property Manager AwardBrian Pearce and the Portland
Property Management Team of UnicoProperties believe providing premiercustomer service is part of sustainability,a concept that is deeply ingrained inUnico’s approach to propertymanagement, said Sharon Mead,director of marketing and communica-tions for Unico Properties.
“Providing excellent customerservice is the act of building sustainablehuman relationships,” Mead said.“Premier customer service isn’t muchdifferent from energy conservation orsustainable management of the builtenvironment; it is simply goodstewardship and good business.”
Viewing environmental stewardshipas a corporate responsibility, Unicobelieves this stewardship will benefit its
buildings by creating a more sustainableenvironment and providing a greaterservice for its tenants. Unico began itssustainable efforts with the purchase ofthe U.S. Bancorp Tower, which wasretrofitted and re-commissioned toensure equipment was running at itsdesigned optimal range. Variablefrequency drives were added to every airhandler and pump in the building.Lighting in the building common areaswas replaced with energy-efficientcompact fluorescent light bulbs and T-8fluorescents.These projects are saving$600,000 a year in operating costs anddelivered a 61 percent return oninvestment.The building also receivedLEED-EB Silver certification.
Nearly $125,000 was saved annuallyin operating costs at Unico’sCommonwealth Building once theHVAC system was rebuilt, a buildingautomation system was installed andthe multi-zone system was retrofittedwith a DDC system. Green leasingtactics — which implement practiceslike using energy-efficient lighting andequipment, green cleaning products andlow- or no-VOC paints, recycling andcomposting — were also implementedat the Commonwealth Building.
Currently, all of Unico’s Class A
Facility Manager/Operator Award
Photos courtesy of Justin Brady
continued from page 5
Photos courtesy of Unico Properties
Winner: Unico Properties,Portland PropertyManagement Team
Team: Brian Pearce,Ty Barker,Krystal Newstrom,Emily Fillis,Kate Boyle,Amy Delbrouck,Brenda Maxwell
Company: Unico Properties
Property ManagerAward
6 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
Winner: Lewis & ClarkFacilities ServicesTeam
Team: Richard Bettega,Larry Atchison,Sharon Hayes,Michael Iannantuano,Amy Dvorak, JaniceCarter, Mike Gipson,Gabe Bishop
Owner: Lewis & ClarkCollege Facilities Services
continued from page 10buildings in Portland are eitherLEED-EB certified or are awaitingcertification and all are trackingenergy and water consumption onENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Managertool. Their continued efforts insustainability earned Brian Pearce andthe Portland Property ManagementTeam the Property Manager Awardfrom NEEA’s BetterBricks.
“Through Unico’s varioussustainable achievements, we havedemonstrated our commitment toenvironmental stewardship while alsolowering our energy costs,” Mead said.“It’s a true honor to be recognized forour commitment.”
Owner/Developer AwardGreg Herrenbruck, director of design
and construction for New SeasonsMarket, and Bill Wyatt, executivedirector for the Port of Portland,received the Owner/DeveloperBetterBricks Award for their respectiveefforts in building and operating highperformance buildings.
Herrenbruck was instrumental inpositioning New Seasons Market as amodel for building solid community andvendor partnerships with an emphasison energy-efficient, environmentally-
friendly operations. Overseeing theconstruction of the company’s twonewest stores, Herrenbruckimplemented several energy-efficientfeatures such as the use of VOC-freepaints, daylight harvesting, bioswales,concrete with fly ash, carpet made fromrecycled materials, LED lighting andchemical-free water treatment systems.He also led an energy audit of the nineexisting buildings in the company,focusing on electricity, gas and waterusage. Additionally, Herrenbruck madeenergy-efficient improvements inexisting facilities, including replacingreach-in freezers and refrigeration unitswith high efficiency units, reducingwater usage by up to 40 percent andreceiving approval for the installation ofcooling tower retrofits with non-chemical systems.
“Greg sees the bigger picture and hasa long-term vision,” said awardnominator Heather Schmidt of NewSeasons Market. “His ability to createpartnerships and his drive to continuallyfind new and better solutions has madeNew Seasons Market a neighborhoodstore invested in community and theenvironment.”
Wyatt directed the construction of thePort of Portland’s new headquarters, built
on top of a seven-story parking garage atPortland International Airport.Thebuilding was a hands-on project whereconservation and recycling measurescould be tested and learned from and thePort of Portland could improve itsapproach to environmental stewardshipand sustainability.The office space uses36 percent less energy and the parkinggarage uses 78 percent less energy thansimilarly-sized counterparts. Energy-efficient features include a passive radiantthermal system, an ecoroof, daylightingcontrols, occupancy sensors, windowglazing and exterior shades to keep thebuilding cool, low-flow toilet valves and aLiving Machine wastewater treatmentplant. Wyatt was instrumental in thePort’s adoption of a comprehensiveenvironmental policy that was supportedby water quality, air quality, naturalresources, waste minimization and energymanagement programs.
“Perhaps the most important aspectof Bill’s leadership is that he expectsthe same from himself as he does fromothers,” said award nominator KarlSchulz of inici group, Inc. “Bill alsobrought a commitment toincorporating both tried-and-truegreen building techniques with morestate-of-the-art features.” OF
Owner/DeveloperAward
Winner: Bill Wyatt, ExecutiveDirector of Port of Portland
Photos courtesy of Lewis & Clark College
Photos courtesy ofthe Port of Portland
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 7
Finalist: Rose Quarter Operations Team
Team: AEG Facilities
Owner: Rose Quarter
Winner: Greg Herrenbruck,Director of Designand Construction forNew Seasons Market
Photos courtesy of New Seasons Market
8 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
As a building owner or property
manager, two primary
business goals are to
maximize net operating income and
provide tenants with a comfortable,
well-functioning building. In recent
years, the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED for Existing
Buildings Operations and
Maintenance (LEED EBOM) rating
system has been used successfully on
hundreds of buildings to help meet
these business goals.
LEED EBOM provides building
owners, property managers and
operators with guidance on how to
incorporate green building operational
practices, offers standardized methods
to rate building performance and acts
as a third party evaluation platform to
recognize achievements. The rewards
for completing this process include
reduced operating expenses, and a
green differentiators to maintain and
attract existing and prospective
tenants.
The rating system is fairly simple in
its layout. Any building seeking
certification must meet both basic
prerequisite requirements and accrue
points from a variety of optional credit
strategies. Basic requirements include:
verifying minimum water and
ventilation system performance
thresholds, conducting a baseline
energy analysis of the buildings
systems to identify cost-savings
opportunities and establishing
building operational guidelines to
encourage sustainable purchasing,
waste management and cleaning
practices. Additional credit strategies
could focus on: exterior site features
and maintenance practices, water and
energy using systems performance,
material purchased for building
operations and tenants, waste and
recycling performance or indoor
environmental quality improvements.
The cafeteria style rating system
allows project teams to customize their
certification program based on
building ownership requirements,
budget and building infrastructure
attributes.
Evaluation criteria are different for
every project, usually balancing
operational cost savings, marketing
impact and tenant satisfaction. In the
commercial real estate market, most
teams focus on LEED strategies with a
good simple payback that yields a
quantifiable return on investment. For
instance, it may sound like common
sense to optimize when air
conditioning and lighting turn on and
off each day in different areas of the
building, but these quick payback
opportunities and years of operational
cost savings often remain untapped.
Many building improvements yield
simple project cost paybacks of less
than two years and thousands of
dollars of annual savings. On one
LEED project, scheduling changes like
these required approximately $13,000
of controls contractor programming
assistance but yielded an estimated
$104,000 of annual operating savings.
Some strategies create financial
payback while simultaneously
improving tenant conditions, such as
addressing issues with HVAC system
economizer cycles. When working
properly, these cycles should optimize
outside air use for climate control and
minimize use of the system’s
mechanical compressors. But these
economizers often operate incorrectly,
using excessive energy and creating
poor indoor air quality. Correcting this
helps your bottom line and provides a
positive, tangible story to share in
releasing negotiations and in
conversations with potential tenants.
Even though the benefits are clear,
you’ll still need to be aware of and
justify the costs of a LEED
certification program. Basic costs
incurred on all projects will include
registering the project and paying for
the independent third party review of
your certification submission. Other
costs could include outside consulting
assistance, investments in equipment
infrastructure and small changes to
procurement practices. Many of your
service subcontractors (window
washing, landscaping, pest
management, cleaning, etc.) are willing
to move to greener operational
practices for little or no cost premium
to keep your business.
Buildings with more than 20,000
square feet typically find a good balance
of costs-to-savings potential, and an
assessment process will solidify what
strategies make the most sense. Smaller
buildings can still find savings and
improved occupant experiences with
the same strategies larger buildings use,
but certification costs may not make
sense for them. On many projects a
$50,000-$100,000 working budget
range is a good placeholder to start
planning your project before you assess
for energy saving opportunities in your
building systems.
Overall project costs range from as
little as 10 cents to $1 per square foot.
Though most projects begin with a
focus on cost savings, many building
owners discover equal value in quick
payback measures and in operating
and maintaining their facilities to a
higher level of performance — a great
benefit for their tenants, marketing,
occupancy rates, the environment and
yes, their bottom line.
Eric Baxter is the existing buildings group
director at Brightworks Sustainability
Advisors. He can be reached at
Figure LEED EBOM into your BudgetBy Eric Baxter
LEED
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 9
Minimize Impact of Disaster by Planning AheadBy Katie Miller
Disaster can strike at any time.
In seconds, everything can
change. Everything can be
stopped, leaving your business in
jeopardy. In any disaster, quick response
draws a fine line between recovery and
irreversible damage. The first steps
taken in the aftermath of a disaster are
the most critical.
At some point, your business will
feel the effects of a disaster. By planning
ahead and partnering with a restoration
company, your business will experience
less interruption and return to normal
operations in a shorter period of time.
Why Have a Partnership?Disaster recovery begins before the
disaster. What you do beforehand will
save time and money. Since disasters
don’t always occur during the 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. work week, having recovery plans
and authorizations in place can make a
crucial difference when every minute
counts.
Without a formal partnership in
place, you could be faced with flipping
through the yellow pages at 3 a.m. after
a disaster. At that point, it is difficult to
decipher qualifications, and you could
be left selecting a contractor that is not
able to fulfill all the needs that your
facility requires. Pre-selection of a
multi-faceted emergency service
contractor allows you assurance that
your staff, clients and buildings will be
in good hands. Selecting a contractor
out of desperation could become more
disastrous than the event itself.
Additionally, having a partnership
with a restoration company allows you
priority over others during a large-scale
or regional event.
“We had more than 150 calls within
24 hours of the freeze breaking a
temperature above 32 degrees,” said
Derek Stewart, general manager of
BELFOR, a property restoration
company in Portland, describing the
freeze that hit Portland last winter.
“Once the frozen pipes within the
buildings began to thaw, the cracks that
were established by the freezing weather
began to leak and/or spray.The resulting
damage from these types of leaks can be
devastating. At this point we took care
of our customers that we had
partnerships with first, and then
handled all other calls on a first-come,
first-serve basis.”
Consider the EventYour business is more likely to be
affected by smaller events causing fire,
wind, water or smoke damage. Planning
for both small and large events is vital.
What might be considered an
annoyance to a corporation could be
ruinous to a small business. Consider
the following and the effects they might
have on your business: water, fire, wind,
smoke, mold, frozen pipes, earthquake,
flood, hurricane, tornado, winter storm,
hazardous materials, explosion or
vandalism.
Water is the single most, long-term,
destructive substance in the indoor
environment. All structural materials
and personal property, of every
description, deteriorate rapidly in the
presence of excess moisture. A few
inches of water on the floor will
immediately soak into any porous
materials. The humidity in the facility
can rise to damaging levels within hours.
disaster preparedness
continued on page 10
EMERGENCYPREPAREDNESSPLAN BASICS• Emergency telephone
numbers for fire, police andemergency personnel
• Emergency evacuationprocedures
• Comprehensive site mapfor utility shutoffs
• Easy access to appropriatetools and first aid kits
• A list of contacts for HVAC,plumbing, electrical,generators and otherspecialties particular toyour building
• List of any hazardousmaterials on site (makesure your MSDS bookis up to date)
• Partnership with a full-service restoration company
Panicto Possible
10 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
disaster recovery
The problem worsens when clean-up and drying services are delayed. Thewindow of opportunity to prevent molddevelopment is within hours of waterdamage, not days or weeks. Having arestoration company respond to adisaster in a timely manner can greatlymitigate your loss.
How to Choose a RestorationCompany
Select an accredited organizationthat can handle all of your needs.Choosing a company that can manage ajob from start to finish eases thetransition from panic to possible. Focuson three key elements: expertise,capacity and experience.
Look for a company that hasexpertise in the services that you wouldneed in the event of a disaster. Do youkeep vital records and documents inyour facility? Then a company that hasthe technology in document restorationis essential. If you have asbestos orhazardous material on the property, youwould need a company that is licensedto handle that type of substance.Electronics and machinery restorationmight be a vital piece to your road torecovery. Make sure you choose acompany that is full service and anexpert in their field.
The company must have thecapacity to handle a large loss to yourfacility. Do they have offices that arelocated in reach of your facilities? Dothey have enough equipment andpersonnel to handle all types of losses?Ask for references and years ofexperience. Whether you have acommercial highrise or historicallandmark, find a company that fits yourneeds.
Pre-PlanningMany businesses have some type of
emergency preparedness plan. Apartnership with a restoration companywill allow you to share the plan alreadyin place or collaborate on the process ofcreating a plan.
As with any plan, without practice
and proper training, it will remainuseless. Create building and site mapsthat indicate all utility shutoffs, alarms,fire extinguishers, exits, stairways,restricted areas, hazardous materialsand high-valued items. Do a walkthrough with all employees and showthem sytem locations and how to shutthem off. Teach them to read andmanage the fire alarm systems in thebuilding. The most imperative thing isto know how and when to turn offwater, gas and electricity at the mainswitches or valves. Sometimes shuttingeverything off may cost millions inproduction costs, depending on yourbusiness operations.
Also include any external resourcesthat could be needed in an emergency.In some cases, formal agreements maybe necessary to define the facility’srelationship with the fire and policedepartment, emergency medicalservices, utilities and insurance carriers.
Just as all staff should have access to
the emergency plan, so should yourrestoration company.
The response and action takenduring the first 24 to 48 hours after adisaster are critical to determiningwhether or not your business fullyrecovers. Effective pre-planning andpartnership with a single source solutionrecovery company has never been asimportant as it is today. Whatever thecause, disasters are now an establishedrisk to every business and must beprepared for in advance. What is yourplan to go from panic to possible?
Katie Miller is theOregon marketingdirector for BELFORProperty Restoration, aleader in disasterrecovery services. Formore information visitwww.belforusa.com, or
contact Katie [email protected]. OF
continued from page 9
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 11
Proper Elevator Maintenance Services andAgreements Increase Longevity of EquipmentBy David Lyons
While the concept of
installing an elevator is
quite clear, elevator
service can sometimes seem subjective
and vague. However, over the lifetime
of the elevator, you, as the owner or
building manager, will spend a fair
amount of time, effort and money
maintaining your elevator.
Understanding your options for the
different types of maintenance
agreements and services is important.
Three common types of
maintenance agreements for elevators,
escalators or moving walks exist: the
standard or basic agreement, the full or
complete maintenance agreement and
the premium or performance
agreement. Other hybrid agreements
incorporate parts of all three, but these
make up the vast majority of all elevator
maintenance agreements in place today.
Basic Maintenance AgreementThe basic maintenance agreement
provides routine maintenance service,
either periodically or on a scheduled
basis. Routine service visits include
examination and lubrication of
elevator equipment. This agreement
does not include part repair or
replacement or unscheduled visits,
commonly called “call-backs” or “call-
outs.” This type of agreement has
lower periodic payments, but surprise
payments for parts or call-outs can add
up quickly depending on elevator use,
age, type, brand, etc.
Complete MaintenanceAgreement
The complete maintenance
agreement provides all the services of
the basic agreement, but it has two
major additions: part repair or
replacement and call-back service and
requests for maintenance to restore the
equipment to working order. Parts that
continued on page 12
12 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
elevatorscontinued from page 11
are worn due to normal wear and tear
are repaired or replaced at no
additional cost. Each agreement will
detail which parts under certain
circumstances will be repaired or
replaced. The call-backs included in
the agreement may be limited to
normal business hours or may be
extended to overtime for a premium.
Additionally, safety tests may be
included as required by code.
The complete maintenance
agreement has higher periodic
payments than the basic agreement,
but there are fewer surprise costs
throughout the year. As with each of
the agreement types, rely upon your
service provider to outline the
frequency of the maintenance visits to
the property. Service technology today,
such as remote monitoring, allows for
much greater flexibility in how often a
technician is needed on site.
Performance MaintenanceAgreement
The performance maintenance
agreement has all the services provided in
the basic agreement and the complete
maintenance agreement. However,
certain performance criteria are also
expected of the elevator service company
and the elevator itself.These may include,
but are not limited to,guaranteed elevator
availability, floor-to-floor times, door-
open and door-close times, spare part
availability, call-out response time,
penalties for inoperable elevators and
many more. In many instances,
consultants or government agencies are
involved in writing and enforcing these
detailed contracts, but they are also
available directly from elevator
companies. Performance agreements
have the highest periodic payments, but
the surprise costs are typically low or
non-existent, and reliability is almost 100
percent guaranteed.
Various other a la carte services can
be added or negotiated into each of
these agreements. To name a few: state
testing requirements, elevator
emergency phone monitoring service,
standby service, travel time, extras
billing rates and any number of
services to meet specific needs.
Like all mechanical equipment,
elevators need maintenance to perform
at their optimum level and to preserve
their vital function, moving people and
freight. Elevator maintenance is a
necessary service that keeps them
reliable and available, and protects the
value of your investment.
David Lyons is account manager at
KONE Portland. The information
provided is a generalization and
maintenance contracts may differ depending
on the maintenance provider, equipment,
location, etc. For more information, contact
KONE at 503.209.9419. OF
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 13
Options in security have
increased in the last 20 years,leading to better pricing,
motivation to improve technology andthe ability to customize safety/securityequipment to fit the needs of a reasonablebudget.The benefits don’t stop there. If aconsumer is aware of their options andinvolved in the planning process, there ispotential for long-term savings.
Many building owners are notinvolved in the decision-makingprocess when it comes to the type ofequipment selected for fire and lifesafety or intrusion alarms. Nor do theyask the right questions about long-termcosts. Many decision are based on thecompany installing the equipment orwho the contractor’s partnering installeris at the time. Historically, neither partyis usually equipped to ask the rightquestions now to save the buildingowner money during the constructionphase and each month thereafter.
Many building owners and propertymanagers learn the hard way with thehigh cost of monthly monitoring, costlyservice work and limitations of who canservice the equipment. All this can beavoided with proper planning, askingthe right questions and due diligence.
Is the system non-proprietary? Meaning, no one company, or a
limited number of companies, hasexclusive rights to service, program ormonitor the equipment. You are notcompromising your safety or securitystandards by choosing non-proprietaryequipment. In fact, most security expertswould argue there is the opportunity fora higher standard when selecting non-proprietary equipment such as SilentKnight, Fire-Lite or Honeywell brandfor fire panels. The more companiesavailable to service the equipment, thebetter your odds are at keeping thesystem properly maintained. And in theevent of an emergency, you want optionsfor service and parts.This competition ishealthy at keeping monitoring andservice work at lower monthly costs,
saving you money each month — notjust during installation.
Besides the obvious costs savings withnon-proprietary equipment during theinstallation process, you can select from along list of future service technicians. Askyourself if you will have the ability tomake changes to your system, or will yoube forced to pay the price each time byusing the installing company yourcontractor selected for you? The minimalamount of time you spend now answeringthese questions, could save you a lot oftime and money for years to come.
What solution is there to usetoday’s technology to save youmoney long-term?
Installing a quality system at a fairprice versus cheap equipment at a low costis not a good solution and will likely costmore money in the long-term.Understanding how your fire system andintrusion alarm systems work will helpyou know what questions to ask now inorder to save you money and time later.No matter what state the economy is in,building owners should not pay moremoney than necessary to get the sameservices,or in some cases,a lower standardof service because they did not know whatquestions to ask. Don’t diminish the needto be deliberate in selecting a security firmwho has your tenants safety and securityneeds and long-term financial goals inmind.A pick-a-name-out-of-the-phone-book approach or relying on yourcontractor’s relationship with their currentelectrical contractor selection is asdangerous as ever. Do they have yourlong-term goals in mind?
No one is expecting the buildingowner or contractor to be the expert infire and life safety or intrusion alarms.Don’t let your long-term relationshipwith your electrical contractor or the firstsecurity company that comes knockingsway you. Spending a little time now canhave long-term benefits later.
It is not all about the bottom line.New technology, which provides greatmonthly costs savings, provides a more
efficient safety/security solution as well.Getting the correct equipment installedwill provide better protection, a moreefficient and quicker detection systemand the long-term financial savings —the reward that keeps on giving.
Shop aroundQuality companies who want to
provide monthly alarm monitoring at areduced rate without compromisingstandards do exist.Most people don’t takeinto consideration who will monitor theiralarm system and how much it will costthem after the installation is complete.More than 95 percent of the installingcompanies in Oregon use a third-partymonitoring center to monitor theiralarms. Moreover, most of those may beout-of-state.
The same questions and due diligenceshould take place when doing an alarmsystems upgrade. You will have morecompanies to choose from whenchoosing non-proprietary equipment.When shopping around,think of upfrontcosts, monthly costs and cost of servicework. Will you own the system after it isinstalled or be making payments on theequipment for the next three to five yearswithout ever owning the equipment? Aretheir additional costs to make programchanges and to receive reports?
Spending a little time now can havelong-lasting benefits. Ask the rightquestions. Install the right non-proprietary system with the necessarytechnology to save you time and moneylater. Lastly, by correctly setting up youralarm response process, you can avoidfalse alarm fines or late night wake upcalls leading to costly services calls.
Derek J. Bliss, CPP, isboard certified insecurity managementand is the director ofclient services and thesecurity consultant atFirst Response, Inc.Contact him at
866.686.1886 or [email protected]. OF
Knowledge can Lead to Long-Term SavingsBy Derek J. Bliss
security
14 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
The first Old Spaghetti Factory
opened its doors in 1969 in a
turn-of-the-century building
located in one of Portland’s “less
polished,” downtown neighborhoods.
Guss Dussin, founder of The Old
Spaghetti Factory and OSF
International, which became The
Dussin Group in 2008, had renovated
the building, turning it into a unique
restaurant, furnished with antiques and
other distinctive interior improvements.
Beginning with the Portland
facility, Dussin developed a restaurant
that he hoped would revitalize urban
core districts that had lost population
to outlaying suburbs and began
implementing this practice in his other
restaurant properties, renovating
buildings that had been deemed
unworkable. By bringing older
buildings back to life, Dussin was able
to offer a unique, distinctive and
historic dining experience in districts
where rents and infrastructure fees
were low, ample parking was available,
fewer materials needed to be used and
less energy was consumed.
“Guss found landlords and building
owners eager to bring their old
buildings back to life,” said Maury
Wickman, corporate facilities manager
for The Dussin Group. “While in
some areas, purchasing the distressed
properties outright made financial
sense because of development credits
available from city and state agencies.”
The Old Spaghetti Factory, with
more than 10 million customers served
annually, is a success because of smart
thinking, smarter operating instincts
and a devotion to customer value, all
ideas that were founded by Dussin,
according to the restaurant’s Website.
Dussin began opening his
restaurants in warehouses, factories,
canneries, school houses, packing
houses and a trolley car roundhouse —
any rundown property that had
potential and fit The Old Spaghetti
Factory criteria. The presence and
popularity of the restaurants led to
community improvements as other
stores and businesses moved into the
community. Traffic increased in the
area, and rent stayed low.
Now, The Old Spaghetti Factory
has 40 locations in the United States,
with many of the restaurants in
historic buildings.
Since finding structures with close
to 10,000 square feet and meeting the
other needs of the restaurant can be
challenging, the Dussin Group now
considers “second generation”
buildings for the diner, said Wickman.
For example, the Phoenix, Ariz.,
restaurant is in a historical personal
residence built in the early 1900s
known as the Roland Baker House.
While the Chandler, Ariz., restaurant,
built in a former restaurant in the
Chandler Mall, is considered a “second
generation” reuse of property.
With more than 40 locations
nationwide and corporate head-
quarters located in Portland,
management of facility operations can
be difficult, especially East Coast and
Mid-West restaurants, said Wickman.
To minimize the challenges of
distance, logistics and communication,
Wickman relies on email, photos and
written reports between him, district
managers and general managers for
field operations.
“We encourage our managers to
take ownership in our facilities,” said
Ric Holderbaum, the director of real
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 15
continued on page 16
The Hillsboro Old Spaghetti FactoryPhotos courtesy of The Dussin Group
estate for The Old Spaghetti Factory.
“And when confronted with difficult
decisions, we have our managers ask
themselves the question, ‘What would
Chris Dussin (president of the Dussin
Group) do?’Then we have them make
their decision based on what’s best for
our customers and long-term goals for
the facilities.”
Managers are responsible for
roofing, HVAC, flooring, bathrooms,
kitchen equipment and building
exteriors and interiors and in some
places, landscaping. The vice president
of operations and the district
managers tour restaurants constantly
to ensure the company’s standards of
facility operations are being met and
exceeded, Wickman said. General
managers are well-educated on the
parameters of facilities operations in
their restaurants to keep the building
operations running smoothly.
Preventative maintenance is a key
component in managing the national
chain, Holderbaum said.
“After 40-plus years in many of our
facilities, we understand the
importance of preventative mainte-
nance programs and have benefited
from investing in good quality
equipment in the beginning and then
hiring the best service companies for
maintenance,” said Holderbaum.
Keeping the HVAC and
refrigeration equipment running
smoothly is essential to the health and
safety of patrons. The Dussin Group
works closely with its vendors to
ensure the companies they contract
with are committed to keeping the
restaurants in premium condition,
Wickman said. Managers and their
district managers review
recommendations made by
preventative maintenance technicians
and make decisions and repairs
accordingly. District managers and
general managers also identify
potential problem equipment or
components in the buildings and have
them repaired as necessary.
“Our goal is to be proactive rather
than reactive,” Wickman said.
“Running equipment to failure is
never our intention and has
consequences that affect restaurant
operations.”
Despite their preventative efforts,
equipment still fails occasionally, and
often at the most critical times,
Wickman said. Working closely with
equipment parts warehouses that
stock critical parts for equipment
minimizes downtime at the
restaurants and helps to avoid costly
delays, he said.
In maintaining the commercially
sized HVAC systems, commercial
boilers and/or 199,000 BTU water
heaters, Booster Heaters for dish
washing machines and commercial
refrigeration equipment, cooling towers
and chilling systems, outside contractors
are hired, Wickman said. The Dussin
Group negotiates national contracts
where it makes the most sense, such as
in alarm companies, chemical suppliers,
trash haulers, recycling and grease
pumping. By also partnering with local
contractors and vendors, The Old
Spaghetti Factory develops community
ties that benefit the local companies and
the facilities operations at the restaurant.
continued from page 15The Old
Spaghetti FactoryEstablished 1969
Oregon Locations
Portland0715 S.W. Bancroft Street
Opened in 1983(Moved from f irst location
in downtown Portland, which openedin 1969)
19,000 SF(30,000 Sf including The Dussin Group
corporate off ices on the third floor)
Managed by:Maury Wickman Facilities
Clackamas12725 S.E. 93rd Avenue
Opened in 199511,500 SF
Managed by:Maury Wickman Facilities
Hillsboro18925 N. W. Tanasbourne Drive
Opened in 199711,500 SF
Managed by:Maury Wickman Facilities
16 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
The Clackamas Trolley
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 17
“Sometimes a smaller, local
company is the best fit for our style of
business,” Wickman said. “People
become involved and have more pride
in our buildings when they can
become part of our extended
restaurant family.”
In addition to the work performed
by vendors, the general managers run
semi-annual checks on the
equipment, and audits are preformed
regularly. “A managed system of
repairs along with recommendations
for replacement of tired and worn out
equipment keeps our critical list of
equipment operating with little down
time,” Wickman said.
Cutting costs on equipment
maintenance is not an option in the
restaurant business, even during a
down economy when budgets are
tight, Wickman said. “With the
responsibility of food safety as well as
the cost of replacement equipment, it
is important to maintain equipment
no matter what the current economy
brings us,” he said. “It doesn’t save us
money to skip maintenance on
buildings and equipment.”
Instead, the company looks for cost
savings by purchasing as much energy
saving equipment as possible,
minimizing energy use and lowering
high utility costs. Antique and hand-
crafted light fixtures are used
throughout the restaurants, with
newer technology in lighting for
energy savings used in the kitchens
and service areas. LED and T-8
fluorescent lights are used in these
working areas with some on-motion
devices, limiting energy use. The
company also recycles where recycling
services are available.
“With an eye on energy costs and
consumption when we expand our
family of restaurants, we look for
energy savings in choosing the right
buildings, the right rooftop material,
up-to-date HVAC equipment and
kitchen equipment,” Wickman said.
“New and improved technology is
being developed that we continue to
explore and incorporate into our
operations. We look forward to the
next 42 years of doing business.” OF
By The Numbers:
Jan. 10, 1969Opening day in Portland
$171.80Total gross sales on opening night
$400,000Company sales after the f irst year
10 millionCustomers served annually
$1 millionMoney invested per restaurant inantiques, interior improvement
40Total number of The
Old Spaghetti Factories
3Number of The Old Spaghetti
Factories in Oregon
10,000Average square footage of The
Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant
The Portland Old Spaghetti Factory from the river
18 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
T enants are asking about it.
Investors are interested in it.Municipalities are requiring it.
Many new landscape design ideas arebeing incorporated into new propertydevelopments. But what can you dowith an existing landscape to make itmore sustainable without completelyredoing it?
Install water-saving irrigationtechnology
Despite our reputation for being the“rainy state,” irrigation is critical tokeeping most landscapes alive andhealthy. The key is to make sure yourirrigation system is applying your waterefficiently and appropriately dependingon the landscape’s water needs.
One of the most effective tools toimprove irrigation efficiency is aweather-based controller. Thesecontrollers adjust daily based onweather data. Some have mini“weather stations” that are connectedto the controller on site while othersreceive the weather data from a nearbyweather station via a pager signal. Asweather can fluctuate significantly on adaily basis, these automaticadjustments have shown to save 20 to40 percent over standard manuallyprogrammed controllers. Most sitesshould achieve a less-than-two-yearpayback in the cost of conversion to aweather-based controller.
A weather-based controller worksbest if the irrigation system it controls isefficient and uniform. Another goodapproach to save water is to do anirrigation audit to evaluate your system.The Irrigation Association providesirrigation auditing training andcertification, and those who are properlytrained can make recommendations onhow to modify a system to be moreefficient. Replacing, moving or addingsprinkler heads can vastly improve thewater distribution uniformity, reducing
run-off and waste.Drip irrigation technology is
also capable of reducing water usethrough placing the water at theroots of shrubs, avoiding run-off,evaporation and poor distributiondue to heads being blocked bygrowing plants. Whereassprinkler heads are best for mostlawn areas, drip irrigation is oftenmuch more efficient for shrubsand ground cover.
Convert less visible lawnto ecological lawn
Have you ever noticed thatthe grass in your lawn near where apatch of clover is growing is greenerand more drought tolerant than therest of the lawn?
This is because clover is legume and
“fixes nitrogen” (pulls it out of the air),
releasing it back into the soil like a
fertilizer. A patch of clover stands out
“like a weed,” but when uniform
throughout a lawn, it can be attractive.
Ecological lawn mixtures combine
dwarf grasses with clovers and other
low-growing herbaceous plants. These
mixtures are designed to produce a
green cover with reduced mowing,
fertilization and irrigation.
Although not necessarily
appropriate for all locations, these
mixtures can enhance a site’s
sustainability and reduce long-term
maintenance costs. Ecological lawns
are probably most appropriate for
perimeters and roadways but not
necessarily a good choice for high
profile areas such as building entries.
Install a Rain GardenTraditional buildings capture rain
from the roof, directing it immediatelyinto the storm drain system andeventually to local streams. Asdevelopment becomes more and moredense, streams have been seriously
impacted by this increased flow, as well
as by the addition of minerals and
other pollutants. This has had a
detrimental effect on the environment
and wildlife. To mitigate this problem,
rain gardens are being incorporated
into development.
A rain garden can be added to an
existing landscape by disconnecting a
building’s downspouts from the storm
drain system and directing the
rainwater into a vegetative swale. The
swale is designed to accommodate
water from a typical rain event and
allow it to infiltrate back into the soil,
keeping it out of the storm water
system. An overflow is installed to
capture excessive rain and keep the
swale from overflowing.
A rain garden can be a functional
landscape amenity, improving the
appearance of a property, making it
unique and acting as a visible sign of
sustainability.
Pacific Landscape Management’s
sustainable landscape solutions program has
resulted in reducing the amount of
chemicals they use, integrating organics into
their fertilizers, promoting water saving
technologies and converting equipment to
newer lower emission models. Contact
them at 503.648.3900. OF
Existing Landscapes can beMore Sustainable
landscaping
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 19
The current office market in
Oregon can best be described
as plain yogurt — you can live
on it, but it’s a bit unexciting.Vacancy
is high, and rents are low. However,
they have stabilized during 2010, and
the bottom has apparently come and
gone. Unfortunately, the outlook for
the near future doesn’t appear to add
much flavor or variety. This year
should bring slow but steady growth
for the office market, but there is no
reason to expect sharp upticks.
Significant improvement and an
exponentially growing market should
occur in 2012 and 2013.
During 2010, many tenants took
advantage of the struggling market
by negotiating favorable leases or
extending leases early in exchange for
early space or rate reductions or both.
Landlords have reacted in a wide
range of ways to the market and to
tenants looking for relief or to take
advantage of market opportunities.
Longer term holders, and those not
convinced of a quick recovery, were
priced and positioned earlier in the
year to attract new and retain existing
tenants. Others that were more
willing to gamble on a quicker
recovery have not fared as well, and
some are finding themselves offering
terms less than they turned down
early last year. Others in extreme
circumstances have reacted
differently. Those with loans coming
due have had to find ways to preserve
the value of the property, maintain
debt service and still be able to
compete in the market.
Despite the aggressiveness of
many landlords and some random
case-by-case situations for below-
market transactions, landlords seem
to be firming up. The terms offered
in the market are extremely
attractive with low base rents, free
rent and other concessions.
However, landlords are not willing to
continue below what seem to be the
new market standards.
One thing seems consistent on
both the part of landlords and
tenants — reduced outlay of capital
for tenant improvements. With
more spaces to choose from, tenants
are looking to find space closer to the
“as is” condition they require so they
can negotiate the best possible deal.
Landlords are also more interested
in preserving capital and the ability
to offer economic terms required to
land new tenants.
Tenant activity in 2010 varied
slightly from 2009, in that 2009 had
more tenants downsizing, closing
offices and seeking lower-class office
space at lesser rates. In 2010, many
tenants still shopped their renewals.
However, a number of companies
also took advantage of lowered rates
in Class A space that were rapidly
approaching the rates of the B
buildings they currently occupied.
That flight to quality is an indication
that the bottom of the market has
arrived and a shift should follow.
Some sour points in the market
are that Kruse Way has a higher
vacancy than the Sunset Corridor for
the first time since these two markets
have been tracked; rates are lower
today than they were in the mid-
1990s; and transactions are
extremely difficult for both landlords
and tenants to make in today’s
economic environment.
On the sweeter side, Portland is a
tertiary market. While many larger
markets suffered far before Portland
did, owners have not felt the
complete impact. Several of those
same markets are experiencing
significant growth now, and Portland
is not too far behind. Portland’s CBD
has an extremely low vacancy rate,
and rental rates are still fairly strong
due to a lack of supply. Construction
projects such as the new Intel
facilities, Kaiser Permanente’s
hospital in Hillsboro, the federal
building rehab and Park Avenue
West office tower will add a
significant number of jobs in the
Portland metro area, which should
help give the local economy a shot in
the arm.
Tenants have begun to fill the
shadow space in their offices. Few
subleases are left on the market, and
most of the space to be given back
has already come back. So 2011 will
show slow growth and improvement
in both the general economy and the
office market. Landlords should
focus on short-term leases with low
capital outlay, and tenants should
look to secure long-term leases with
options, as this may be the last time
to capitalize on a suffering market.
As 2011 closes and momentum
builds, there should be a significant
increase in transaction volume for
2012 and 2013, going from plain
yogurt to a vanilla yogurt and to a
fruit parfait.
Vice President John
Medak specializes in
Portland-area off ice
leasing and sales at
NAI Norris, Beggs &
Simpson, a real estate
brokerage and
asset/property
management company. Contact him at
503.223.7181 or
2011 Portland Office Market ForecastSlow Growth, Improvement in the Economy and the Office MarketBy John Medak
20 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
Hot Water Supply Boilers Wise Choicefor High-Volume Hot Water RequirementsBy Curt Lundine
N obody enjoys a cold shower or
a cold building during the
winter. Behind-the-scenes hot
water supply boilers ensure no one has
to feel the chill. Supply boilers produce
large amounts of hot water for hotels,
restaurants, apartment buildings,
laundromats, churches and car washes.
Wherever a reliable source of hot water
is required for housekeeping and
building comfort, hot water supply
boilers provide water to temperatures
not exceeding 250 degrees Fahrenheit at
pressures not exceeding 160 PSIG —
sufficient temperature and pressure for
most industrial applications.
Modern designs of these kinds of
boilers employ condensing technology
with up to 96 percent efficiency. With
the cost of fuel increasing at an alarming
rate, these boilers are an attractive and
wise choice for high-volume hot water
requirements.
The use of modulating burner design
on modern hot water supply boilers
allows the system load and boiler
capacity to be closely matched. Boiler
modulation helps eliminate short
cycling, improving the service life of
boiler components and reducing
maintenance costs. Newer burner
designs usually meet the air quality
requirements for allowable NOx
emissions of most air quality
management districts.
Early hot water supply boilers
utilized natural circulation to circulate
water between the boiler and a storage
vessel. Natural circulation limited the
system’s ability to recover quickly when
large amounts of hot water were needed
in hotels, restaurants, etc. Newer design
improvements include fractional
horsepower, low-head, large-volume
circulation pumps that solve this
problem by increasing heat-transfer
from the combustion chamber, through
the internal heat exchanger to the water.
The boiler owner must determine
capacity requirements of each hot water
system in their building.This capacity is
expressed on the boiler burner
nameplate in BTUs per hour. A
common formula that can be used to
calculate system capacity based on
temperature and flow-rate is:
BTU/HR = outlet water temperature
- inlet water temperature of boiler
x flow rate in gallons/hour (GPM)
of the circulating pump x 501
No one wants to experience
mechanical problems with their
building service systems, especially not
during the cold seasons. It is good
economic policy to practice aggressive
preventative maintenance of your
boilers, in accordance with the
manufacturers recommendations. Some
of the common maintenance problems
of a hot water boiler systems are erosion,
corrosion, vibration and scale:
• Erosion of the heating element of
a coil type water heater is directly
related to the velocity of the water
through the coil. Proper sizing of
circulating pumps and piping will
minimize this concern.
• Corrosion is a result of dissolved
gases, such as oxygen, in the boiler
feed water. Where a public water
supply is used for make-up water, a
water treatment program should
be installed for removal of free
oxygen and other corrosive
elements.
• Vibration may be caused by loose
or misaligned rotating parts, or by
water hammer in the heating
system. Mechanical stresses caused
by vibration can cause early failure
of structures under pressure.
• Scale is another result of poor feed
water quality. Domestic water
quality varies widely and should be
a core consideration for prevention
of boiler failure.
Most Oregonians understand how
fortunate they are to live and work in
such a bountiful, beautiful state. What
most do not realize is how fortunate
they are that Oregon has developed and
enforces one of the most comprehensive
and proactive boiler safety programs in
the country.
Hot water supply boilers to be
installed and used in Oregon are
manufactured to stringent national
codes. Installing contractors must hold a
boiler business license issued by the
state, and they must employ highly
skilled boiler tradesmen likewise
licensed by the state. Every newly
installed or existing boiler operating in
Oregon undergoes thorough testing and
inspection by nationally certified boiler
inspectors, who must also hold a
certificate of competency issued by the
state, showing that they understand and
enforce our jurisdictional boiler law. For
further information about provisions of
the Oregon Boiler Safety Law, contact
the Oregon Building Codes Division in
Salem, Oregon, at 503.378.4133.
Modern civilization relies on a source
of safe and economical hot water to
maintain sanitary standards and
customer satisfaction. So when an
Oregon hotel guest steps into their
shower after a long day of sightseeing
and dining on local cuisine, they can rely
on an abundant and reliable supply of
hot water.
Curt Lundine is the owner of Curt
Lundine Consulting and has been
involved in the boiler and pressure vessel
field for 45 years. He worked as a boiler
engineer for the city of Los Angeles and as
chief boiler inspector for the state of
Oregon. He can be reached at
503.551.2905. OF
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 21
boilers
22 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
The Wayne Lyman MorseUnited States Courthouse inEugene, Oregon, is theNorthwest/Arctic Region’s first buildingto earn the Building Owners andManagers Association’s BOMA 360Performance Program designation, andthe first and only building in Oregon toreceive these honors. The MorseCourthouse was one of 29 buildings toearn the most recent 360 PerformanceProgram designation. The Courthouseis owned by the General ServicesAdministration and is managed byPublic Buildings Service. The MorseCourthouse shares this recognition withfour other GSA properties across thecountry.
The BOMA 360 PerformanceProgram is a groundbreaking programdesigned to recognize commercialproperties that demonstrate bestpractices in building operations andmanagement. Since the program’sinception in spring 2009, 181 buildingshave been designated.
The BOMA 360 PerformanceProgram evaluates properties in sixmajor areas of building management:building operations and management;life safety/security/risk management;training and education; energy;environment/sustainability; and tenantrelations/community involvement. Thecomprehensive nature of the programmeans that every aspect of buildingperformance is assessed and scoresare based on how buildings meet anextensive checklist of best practices.
SoloPower, Inc., a California-based manufacturer of flexible,thin film solar cells andmodules, will locate a highvolume manufacturing facilityin Wilsonville, Oregon. The initialphase of this expansion will be theconstruction of a 75 MW manufacturingline which will create 170 new jobs.Upon completion, the facility isexpected to have a nameplate capacityof 300 MW, employ approximately 500people and have a total investment ofapproximately $340 million. The state-of-the-art production facility will greatlyenhance the company’s ability toprovide powerful, flexible, lightweightsolar modules globally. Themanufacturing facility will provide aneconomic boost to the community,creating jobs and supporting localbusiness.
“Over the past year, SoloPower hasconsidered several alternative sites.Oregon is an exceptional location forour long-term growth,” statedSoloPower CEO Tim Harris. “Oregon’sbusiness-friendly environment,excellent support programs, and highlyskilled workforce made locating ournew manufacturing facility in Oregonan easy decision.”
NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpsonhas released its fourth quarter2010 quarterly reports foroffice, industrial, and retailcommercial real estate, as wellas its economic report.
Office vacancy in Central Citydecreased to 11.78 percent, with a fewsignificant leases. Suburban officevacancy fell slightly to 23.88 percent,with 121,056 square feet absorbed.One of the larger leases of the quarterwas ACS taking 30,656 square feet atTriangle Pointe for a new call center.Vancouver office vacancy rose slightlyto 18.7 percent.
Industrial vacancy fell slightly to15.01 percent, with 108,375 squarefeet absorbed. As one recent studyshowed, the industrial sector is a brightspot in Oregon’s economy, and thePort of Vancouver has recently seenheightened activity with BHP Billiton’s60-acre lease.
Retail vacancy was stable at 6.4percent, with 81,081 square feetabsorbed. The area’s first H&Mopened in November at Pioneer Place,and H&M also leased nearly 20,000square feet at Washington Square.Ross Dress for Less and Dick’sSporting Goods also signed significantleases during the fourth quarter.
The Oregon SustainabilityCenter, the June Key DeltaCommunity Center and TheCommons in Portland are takingon the Living BuildingChallenge, a green building guidethat requires a building to produce all ofits own energy, manage all of its ownwater on site and use non-toxic, locallysource materials. The buildings, whichare all under construction, must be inoperation for one year before an auditcan be performed. If certified, theOregon Sustainability Center, at150,000 square feet, will become thelargest building to be certified under theLiving Building Challenge.
Portland MetropolitanAssociation of Building Ownersand Managers (BOMA) recentlylaunched Carbon4Squareinitiative, a challenge to propertymanagers and building owners todemonstrate their leadership insustainable building operations.Carbon4Square is the first building
BRIEFLY
Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse
OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011 I 23
operations challenge in the country thatmeasures and reduces carbonconsumption through the framework ofwaste, water, watts and wheels. Thisyear-long, resource conservation effortwill catalyze building teams tobenchmark environmental performanceand implement strategies that lead togreater efficiencies and reducedoperating expenses. Participants canjoin the challenge atwww.carbon4square.com.
“Carbon4Square supports Portlandbuilding professionals as they begin orimprove their sustainability initiatives,”says Susan Steward, executive directorBOMA Portland.
The challenge offers severalcategories in which participants canwin. The “Carbon Leaders” categorywill be awarded to buildings havingdemonstrated the most success andinnovation in managing watts, water,waste and wheels. The “Most Improved
Performance” category will be awardedto buildings showing the greatestpercentage gain in ENERGY STAR®ratings over the year. Most ValuableTenant will be awarded to a tenant whohas demonstrated leadership andenthusiasm for sustainability. Finally,the grand prize will be awarded by ajury and will recognize superiorachievement in managing carbonemissions across all four categories.
Carbon4Square partners andsponsors include BOMA Portland, theNorthwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’sBetterBricks initiative, Energy Trust ofOregon, BEST Business Center, City ofPortland Department of Transportation,City of Portland Bureau of Planningand Sustainability, ENERGY STAR®,Metro, City of Gresham’s GreatBusinesses and Business Smart Trips.Partners have all stepped forward tomake technical and educationalassistance available to participantsthroughout the year. OF
24 I OREGON FACILITIES SPRING 2011
Oregon FacilitiesP. O. Box 970281Orem, UT 84097-0281