BOMA/NY Pinnacle Award winners.

Playing to a full-capacity crowd of more than 550 real estate and property management professionals, the Divine. Miss M serenaded unsung, heroes, drafted some of the industry's top property executives into her back-up band and handed out the coveted and newly renamed BOMA/NY pinnacle Awards to the top 11 standard-setters of the buildingmanagement and ownership profession during 1999-2000 at BOMA/NY's 31st annual awards ceremony held on February 3.

Held at Windows on The World, the ceremony featured BOMA/NY president Steven W. Ford, Awards chair Kathleen Murphy, and Awards subcommittee chairs Michael Copperstone (operating), Robert DiChiara (historical), Barbara Fagan (civic betterment), Alvah O. Rock, RPA/FMA (renovated), Gregory J. Sutherland (corporate facility) and Harry Van Meter (new construction) as presenters.

Founding BOMA/NY president, Henry Muller, took a break from his retirement to fly into. New York and present the Pinnacle named in his honor - the Henry Muller Award: Recognizing Vision for New York an award given at the discretion of BOMA/NY to individuals or companies who have made a unique and distinguished contribution to bettering the quality of life in NYC.

Helping BOMA/NY celebrate were numerous dignitaries and elected officials, including William J. Diamond; commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services; C. Virginia Fields, president of the Borough of Manhattan; Richard Eaddy, Bronx Deputy Borough president representing president Fernando Ferrer; and Thomas Von Essen, commissioner of the NYC Fire Department.

Formerly the Awards for Excellence, the BOMA/NY awards were renamed the Pinnacle Awards this year, says president Steven W. Ford, "to symbolize their position as the premier awards in our industry and the fact that each year, our award-winners raise the standard of competition. And when they raise the level of competition, they also hold every one of us in the New York marketplace to a higher level of excellence in all facets of our business.

The award winners were Ernest A. Conrad, PE, Landmark Facilities Group, with the Outstanding Local Member of the Year award; Four Times Square with the New Construction award; 90 West Street in the Historical category; 666 Fifth Avenue in the Renovated category; 1540 Broadway in the Corporate Facility category; and Project FIND in the Civic Betterment category (with a special award given to the John T. Griffin family for three generations of charitable giving). The Henry Muller Award for Recognizing Vision for New York went to The Times Square Business Improvement District; 10 Hanover Square won in the Operating Building category (100,000 - 500,000 square feet); 425 Lexington Avenue won in the Operating Building category (500,000 - 1 million square feet); and The World Trade Center won in the Operating Building category (over 1 million square feet). Winning at the BOMA Middle Atlantic Conference regional level were 1540 Broadway (corporate facility), 90 West Street (historical building), 425 Lexington (opera ting, 500,000 to 1 million square feet) and The World Trade Center (operating, over 1 million square feet).

While much of the awards ceremony put New York's finest office structures in the spotlight, two awards focusing on the contributions of BOMA/NY members were among the highlights of the evening.

Codes & Regulations/Government Affairs chairman Ernest A. Conrad, PE was named Outstanding Local Member of the Year for his extraordinary efforts in making BOMA/NY a highly visible and effective consulting "partner' with the City of New York for both the Y2K preparedness program and activities relating to legislation affecting the real estate industry; for serving as the driving force behind making Advocacy Day and the Annual Codes & Regulations Symposium the most successful events of their kind in BOMA/NY history; and for developing the Codes & Regulations/Government Affairs committee into a major active force within the industry and the greater New York area as a whole. Conrad accepted the award on behalf of "Ernie's Army", his more than 50-member committee that has "put the BOMA/NY name on the map in City Hall, Albany and Washington."

The John T. Griffin family was presented with a check for $2,500 for its record of compassion with such charitable undertakings as Covenant House, The Torch Foundation, personal involvement with children of Chernobyl and other related child-focused charities. Accepting the award for "three generations of my family," John T. Griffin, former BOMA/NY president, immediately donated the proceeds to The Torch Foundation.

Highlights of the winning properties

In the New Construction category, Four Times Square came away the winner. At 48 stories high, the newest building in the Times Square-Broadway marketplace is also the largest "green" building built to date. Completed in 1999 by The Durst Organization at a cost of $300 million, 4 Times Square has already become a modern architectural landmark. Its dramatic exterior design, including four, 60-foot-high signs at the crown, takes its cues from its location at the crossroads of the world. Its interiors are high tech, state-of-the-art, and environment tally responsible, with many green features providing a payback in as early as three years.

In the Historical Building category, 90 West Street was the overall winner. For most of the 20th century, 90 West Street, designed by architectural master Cass Gilbert, has been a beacon on the downtown Manhattan skyline. Today, this skyline landmark is also an official New York City landmark, noted for its role in bridging traditional commercial office construction of the 19th century and the Gothic tower construction of the early 20th century. And, having just completed a major capital improvements program, it prides itself on meeting the needs of its 21st century tenants.

666 Fifth Avenue won in the Renovated Building category. Soaring 40 stories above Midtown Manhattan, 666 Fifth Avenue has been a high profile destination since it was completed in 1958. As a result of a major capital improvements program recently completed by Sumitomo Realty and Development (NY), Inc., the property now presents a dramatic new retail facade to Fifth Avenue shoppers. Inside, tenants enjoy the benefits of a newly-reconfigured lobby featuring an elegant, sophisticated new design complementing the restored sculptured ceiling and artwork of world-renowned Japanese artist, Noguchi. In the building's famed penthouse, the Grand Havana Room blends cigar bar ambiance with high-tech meeting facilities and some of Midtown's most stunning views.

Project FIND took the award in the Civic Betterment category. Dedicated to seeking out and serving the aged, Project FIND has been serving more than 250,000 nutritious meals every year to older Manhattan adults. It also provides classes in such diverse subjects as acting, creative writing, painting, exercise, movement, sewing and other enriching areas. The Project also manages a number of facilities, including a homeless center and three senior residences for various age groups and income levels.

In the Corporate Facility category, 1540 Broadway came away with honors. One of Midtown's most prestigious corporate addresses, 1540 Broadway is home to the world's largest record store - Virgin Megastore - Planet Hollywood's first official All Star Cafe, a four-plex movie theater and the headquarters of one of the world's largest publishing corporations. Befitting this mix of tenancies and traditions, the Skidmore Owings and Merrill-designed tower rises 45 stories above Broadway to end in a NeoGothic spire. At the base, tenants enter through a grand archway, while cantilevering above is a stainless steel canopy forming a skylight affording a glimpse of the skyline beyond. Within, every floor is characteristic of the tenants - from Bertelsmann trendy to Random House conservative.

The Henry J. Muller Achievement Award/Recognizing Vision for New York went to The Times Square Business Improvement District. Underpinning all the show business and entertainment names and governmental agencies that have contributed to the rebirth of Times Square has been The Times Square Business Improvement District, which every day assumes the responsibility to ensure that some of the most famous real estate in the world continues to prosper. In the seven years since its founding, the BID has joined with public and private organizations to ensure a clean, safe and friendly neighborhood for the new Times Square community. Its $6 million annual budget pays for security, sanitation and community services, champions local interests, administers public improvements and promotes tourism, including such annual events as Broadway on Broadway and the famous dropping of the ball and New Year's Eve countdown heard around the world.

In the Operating Office Building (500,000 - 1 million square feet) category, 10 Hanover Square won with distinction. A classic contemporary structure built in 1972, 10 Hanover Square is meticulously maintained by Hines Interest & Limited Partnership for owner Goldman Sachs, Inc. to ensure that all of its 497,000 square feet live up to the Wall Street institution's reputation for excellence. Among its most notable features are a newly refurbished lobby whose handsome finishes of granite, bronze and granite and a striking new design underscore the Goldman Sachs leadership position. Tenant floors feature an extensive art collection and such special amenities as full-floor, full-service cafeteria and a state-of-the-art fitness center, complete with a rock-climbing wall and the full range of weight training and exercise equipment.

The Operating Office Building (500,000 - 1 million square feet) award was won by 425 Lexington Avenue. Ascending 31 stories above Midtown Manhattan's transportation hub at Grand Central Terminal, the unique glass tower at 425 Lexington Avenue challenges architectural convention by flaring dramatically outward and skyward over the city skyline. As conceived by leading architect Murphy/Jan, the structure rises above its eight-story, stepped back and terraced base for another 23 stories in floors of 18,500 square feet each. Planned on a five-foot module, the 675,000 square-foot tower features two concourse levels, various floor plan designs for the first eight levels and nine-foot ceilings throughout.

The World Trade Center won handily in the Operating Office Building (1 million square feet and over) category. Soaring ten stories above the lower Manhattan skyline, The World Trade Center is one of the most distinctive elements of the Manhattan skyline and a major tourist draw. The Twin Towers rise above their landscaped plaza in a series of graceful elongated gothic windows that draw the eye upward along ascending steel columns over slender facades. The center-core configuration allows for open, pillar-free space and both towers are equipped with high-tech, high-speed, anti-sway elevators. Amenities include 70-foot high lobbies, a full-scale shopping mall and multiple access locations to mass transit.

In contrast, Four and Five World Trade Center each stand 130 feet tall, with facades of closely spaced mullions and 15-foot deep cantilevered overhangs at the base. Both are entered through a five-acre landscaped plaza and offer access to the shopping mall and the retail, dining and mass transit offered on the concourses connecting the entire center.