Times Square, Boston Properties sweep annual competition.

Times Square's newest skyscrapers and the skyline icons owned by Boston Properties--led by its flagship at Citigroup Center--took home the top honors in this year's heavily competitive BOMA/NY Pinnacle Awards, held February 9 before a packed house at The Copacabana.

Known at the local level of competition for the most prestigious award in national real estate, the Pinnacles are the first step in winning the TOBY (or The Office Building of the Year Award) and have rigorous judging standards.

Nominees are evaluated on their operational excellence and must compete via written submission, building staff interviews and a roof-to-basement inspection.

Awards are also given to: the BOMA/NY member who has made the most outstanding contributions in the past year; the industry's top building manager in two years-of-service categories; the company or individual who has demonstrated the greatest vision for New York and an outstanding New York based charity.

Verizon's New York headquarters at 140 West Street, which straddled the renovation, historical and corporate headquarters categories, was distinguished with an award of special merit for its stunning recovery and restoration following 9/11.

The winners, who were not revealed until the "envelope" seals were broken are:

Outstanding Local Member: Kathleen A. Murphy, RPA/CPM, Senior Facilities Manager, Trammell Crow Company

A trailblazer for women in property management, Kathleen has served the field and BOMA/NY for two decades and is known for her superb team building and mentoring qualities. Now head of

BOMA/NY's Membership Committee, where she is bringing her signature style of innovation and energy to developing new members, Kathleen has also served as the head of the Pinnacle Awards Committee and participated in the Association's advocacy efforts on key industry issues.

Historical: 230 Park Avenue

Owner: Istithmar Building Park Avenue, LLC; Management Firm: Monday Properties; Building Manager: William A. Bassett

Originally built by the New York Central Railroad as both its headquarters and the cornerstone of Terminal City, the "Crown Jewel" of Park Avenue recently completed an extensive renovation to transform this early 20th Century Beaux Arts gem into a competitive 21 st Century office tower. The 1.3-million-sf national landmark stands astride the Avenue and its winged design permits traffic to flow through its base.

Government: 90 Church Street

Owner: United States Postal Service; Management Firm: Boston Properties, Inc.; Building Manager: Ralph J. Scelfo, RPA 

Overlooking Ground Zero, this massive limestone headquarters for the United States Postal Service began as a Depression-era work project and continues to work hard today as a 24-7 nerve center for the USPS and a Class A center for government office. Boston Properties came on-board in 1995 in a public-private partnership and supervised an extensive renovation at the time, and then again following 9/11, when the landmark sustained heavy damage and contamination.

New Construction: Times Square Tower

Owner: Boston Properties, Inc.; Management Firm: Boston Properties, Inc.; Building Manager: Rock A. Harding

Conceived 25 years ago as the final tower for the Times Square Redevelopment, today the 49-story tower sealed the Masterplan with architectural, financial and operational success. Home to powerhouse law firms. the tower feature 11 facade treatments, the largest retail signage in the area, a Sky Lobby with panoramic views, and below the building, two renovated floors of subway access which were kept open throughout construction.

Civic Betterment: Health, Jam, Inc.

A program for at-risk urban teens, Health Jam blends education with entertainment to minimize risky behavior and build self esteem. After school programs pair the teens with mentors.

Earth Award: 4 Times Square (given for the first time this year)

Owner: The Durst Organization; Management Firm: Royal Realty; Building Manager: Eugene Walsh 4 Times Square pioneered high performance building, construction and operations, and its impact upon green practices has reached far beyond New York. Employing solar energy, fuel cells and a first-of-its-kind air filtration system, it also features only natural sustainable, reusable or recyclable materials. It has also proved that green operations is practical and requires few changes in practice or procedure.

Henry J. Muller Achievement Award: Recognizing Vision for New York

Parish of Trinity Church-Trinity Real Estate

New York's oldest landlord proved it could be one of the most innovative by creating an entirely new marketplace--Hudson Square--and doing so by using its own strength and resources. Other owners might have sold a portfolio of outdated light industrial buildings, but Trinity dug in and converted them to office use and attracted New York's creative community. Twenty-five years after it was conceived, Hudson Square is a major contributor to the health of the Lower Manhattan marketplace.

Manager of the Year (3 to 10 Years of Experience): Paul Gordon

Director of Operations, 767 Fifth Avenue, Macklowe Management Co., Inc.

Called my "go-to guy" by building owner William Macklowe, Paul handles the day-to-day management at 767 Fifth and the building's three very public renovations involving the plaza, retail and storefronts. A nine-year member of the industry, Paul has an outstanding record of tenant retention and tenant relations.

Manager of the Year (More than 10 Years of Experience): Louis Trimboli, RPA, FMA 

Senior Real Estate Manager, 825 Third Avenue, CB Richard Ellis, Inc.

Lou applies his 17 years of experience to working for building owner, the Durst Organization and Advance Magazine Publishers, Inc., which is also the lead tenant. He also supervises a portfolio of Class A & B properties, including landmarks, in New York and New Jersey. His deep knowledge of the field and his commitment and diligence have earned Lou the respect of those in all walks of the building industry.

Corporate Facility: 5 Times Square--Ernst and Young Headquarters

Owner: Boston Properties; Management Firm: Boston Properties; Building Manager: Joseph Leone

5 Times Square soars 38 stories above New York's most vital new neighborhood in a dramatically angled design that captures the energy of the global powerhouse within--Ernst & Young. The 1.1-million-sf building serves as the firm's national headquarters and is entirely occupied by the international financial services firm.

Renovated: 501 Seventh Avenue

Owner: 501 Seventh Avenue Associates, LLC; Management Firm: CB Richard Ellis, Inc.;

Building Manager: Javier Lezamiz

In a textbook case of renovation paying off at the bottom line, this building's $54 million refurbishment raised its tenancy from Class C to Class A, increased the occupancy rate from 40 to 99% in two years, and transformed the pre-war garment manufacturing loft into an international headquarters and showroom center for leading designers and clothing manufacturers--all while retaining the. building's Romanesque exterior and other historic touches.

Operating (100,000-499,000 sf): 500 Park Avenue

Owner: PPF OFF 500 Park Avenue, LLC; Management Firm: Jones Lang LaSalle, LLC

Building Manager: Brian O'Flaherty

Created for Pepsi-Cola during the heady days of Park Avenue's transformation into a corporate center in the late 1950's, 500 Park Avenue was completely renovated by its original architect to be a state-of-the-art structure that retained its classic modernist lines. The sophisticated curtainwall design was accorded official New York City landmark status in 1995.

Operating (500,000-1,000,000sr): The Lipstick Building (885 Third Avenue)

Owner: TST 885 Third, L.P.; Management Firm: Tishman Speyer Properties, L.P.;

Building Manager: Amanda Carpenter

The oval lines and stepped massing of this 34-story tower created headlines before its foundation was laid. Dubbed the Lipstick Building for its regressing cylindrical profile, the name stuck and is now official, but its one-of-a-kind design by the renowned Philip Johnson and John Burgee has never been duplicated. Its sophisticated building systems were design to work within the unique shape, as was its lobby, which echoes the building's footprint and is home to the Lipstick Cafe.

Operating (More than 1 million sf): Citigroup Center

Owner: Boston Properties Limited Partnership; Management Firm: Boston Properties, Inc.; Building Manager: John McMahon, CPM, RPA

In one bold stroke, what could have been another boring corporate office tower became a signature piece in New York's unmatched stable of skyscrapers. Citigroup Center refined urban architecture with a sense of corporate responsibility and high design not equaled since. New York's third tallest building succeeds at the skyline--with its oblique, sloping roof--and at its base, with its groundbreaking 6-story, 65,000 sf public atrium functioning as the local town square and extending into a sunken outdoor plaza with a 30-foot high waterfall. At its base is condominium partner, St. Peter's Church, the world's only church built as part of a skyscraper.

BOMA/NY is the greater New York are Association of BOMA International, with more than 900 members active in all areas affecting the industry--from continuing education to advocacy, to codes and regulations updates. It sponsor' real estate's most prestigious awards--the Pinnacles--which recognize excellence in operations and personal contribution. BOMA/NY is the major source for the profession's continuing education and is the exclusive provider of the BOMI coursework required for the RPA, FMA, SMA and SMT designations. In recent years, the Association has become an increasingly influential voice at City Hall, the State House in Albany and in Washington, DC, lobbying for issues as diverse as mold remediation and terrorism insurance.