Repositioning older NYC buildings as class A properties.

The Midtown New York building boom from the late 1950s to the early 1970s created many class A commercial properties.

Despite their prime location, the status of these vintage buildings has slipped in recent years due to aging systems and finishes, rendering some of them with Class B status in today's market.

Both the condition of these buildings and the economic downturn of the last few years have combined to raise vacancy rates and depress rents.

Now is the time to renovate an older building to reposition it as a class A property in anticipation of an economic upturn.

Older buildings require significant improvements in systems and finishes in order to be transformed into competitive class A space.

If building systems and public areas have not been upgraded within the past 15 years, they are well past due.

The First Impression

The overall quality of the building exterior and public areas are key to creating a class A first impression. Curtainwall buildings constructed between 1950 and 1975 often have deficiencies in energy performance, water tightness and structural integrity, requiring curtainwall repair or replacement.

Pre-1950 masonry buildings typically require masonry repair and window replacement. Entry doors should be restored or replaced with modern doors appropriate to the building's design.

Lobbies and corridors show their age in their finishes, colors and, especially, lighting.

Finishes should be upgraded to expensive, durable materials, such as stone, wood and glass in neutral colors. Lighting is one of the most important features of public spaces because lighting design changes significantly over time.

Pre-1985 buildings tend to have relatively uniform levels of ambient incandescent or fluorescent lighting. Today's indirect lighting is much more dramatic, focused lighting.

There are many different kinds of fixtures and lamps available, including color-corrected fluorescent, low-volt age, and diffused lighting, as well as many new varieties of downlighting.

The lighting can be more skillfully focused where it is needed, resulting in an entirely different feel to the public spaces.

For example, existing fighting fixtures in the J.P. Morgan-Chase Building at 522 Fifth Avenue were predominantly incandescent downlights in a very high ceiling.

These were re-placed with low-voltage lighting fixtures in a coffered ceiling with a ring of indirect lighting fixtures on the perimeter, which appear to "float" the ceiling.

Elevator lobbies were given a combination of low-voltage and incandescent lighting. In addition, ceiling heights were varied to modulate the perception of the lighting.

Elevator cabs are easily dated and must be upgraded. Today, there are many more options in finishes, including thin stone panels for floors and/or wails, as well as wood.

Older uniform downlighting is replaced with a combination of downlights and indirect lighting to make it easier to read the button panel.

Core toilets dating before 1980 must be renovated. Separate sinks typically are replaced with vanities, lighting is updated, and deteriorated or outdated finishes, including tile, are replaced with neutral colored finishes or natural stone.

Additionally, older buildings typically require upgrades throughout to meet ADA requirements.

Upgraded Systems

Beyond the first impression, building systems must meet current standards and must accommodate the communications technologies Class A tenants expect. Riser systems must be upgraded to provide adequate feeds for modern telecommunications and electrical service, usually Cat 5 copper service, with two points of entry.

Because of all the technology used in modern commercial buildings, HVAC requirements have increased as well. In any case, after 20 to 25 years, HVAC systems have outlived their warranties and should be replaced.

Modern systems and controls have not only increased energy efficiency, but also increased potential for occupant comfort. If there are old radiators, these must go for aesthetic reasons.

Similarly, elevator machinery needs to be upgraded if it is more than 20 years old. New systems use computerized control systems, which assures much more efficient service to users.

Class A owners and tenants are also looking for redundant security systems. Since Sept. 11, 2001, standards for lobby security have changed dramatically with upgrades adding turnstiles, card readers, security cameras and other screening devices.

The recent building boom in the Times Square area has helped usher in a new era of Class A properties, providing tenants with rising expectations for high priced space.

Forward-looking building owners with older properties are seeing vacancies as an opportunity to invest in the renovations that will enable them to reposition their properties to compete in this new real estate market.

JOAN BLUMENFELD, PRINCIPAL,

SWANKE HAYDEN CONNELL ARCHITECTS