Page 2B —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— September 16-October 6, 2015
Spotlight
015 marks the 95th
anniversary of Denver
Metro BOMA, the old-
est commercial real
estate association in the Denver
area. The association is one of
the largest membership associa-
tions in the region representing
80 million square feet, which is
nearly 75 percent of Denver’s
commercial real estate. BOMA
provides information, advocacy
and educational programs to
building owners, managers,
developers, leasing profession-
als, corporate facility manag-
ers, asset mana-gers, and the
providers of the products and
services needed to operate com-
mercial properties.
Many of the buildings people
know well today looked vastly
different in the early 20th cen-
tury. For example, when Union
Station first opened in 1881, it
was a depot for more than 80
trains a day carrying families,
merchants, laborers and busi-
ness leaders. It also was the
largest building in Denver.
Following World War II, rail-
roads gave way to cars, trucks
and airplanes and in the not-
too-distant past, Union Station
often stood empty save for a
few passengers awaiting the
Amtrak train.
Today, Union Station is a
regional transportation hub and
the headquarters of Denver’s
FasTracks light-rail station, as
well as a great place to dine,
shop and experience the flavor
of Denver – old and new.
Denver Metro BOMA
Through the Decades
1920s
• The Denver Association
of Building Owners and
Managers was formed in
affiliation with the National
Association of Building Owners
and Managers. Many years
later NABOM became BOMA
International and the Denver
chapter was renamed the
Denver Metro Building Owners
and Managers Association.
1930s
• Andy Konersman was the
first executive (1933 – 1971), in
a volunteer position.
• Palmer Burch was BOMA
President (1938/1939 and 1954).
He was elected to the Colorado
House of Representatives and
was an active member in pro-
viding legislative updates to the
BOMA membership.
1940s
• Window-air units were
installed. Tenants would leave
them on all night and the con-
densers blew on a regular basis.
• Central-air systems were
beginning to be installed in
buildings. Building windows
were made inoperable to keep
the air balanced and tempera-
ture constant within the build-
ings.
1950s
• Prior to the depression,
most of the buildings were
owner managed. IREM created
the Accredited Management
Organization, which institu-
tional investors looked for in
a managing agent. Due to the
geographic and transporta-
tion challenges, third-party
management started to become
more common. Van Schaack
and Fredrick Ross were the big
management players at that
time.
1960s
• Early Denver BOMA was
a “good old boys club” – no
women allowed.
• Monthly meetings were
held at First National Bank
Building, at 17th Street and
Welton Street, on the 26th floor.
1970s
• BOMA buildings placed
stickers at their entrances des-
ignating them as BOMA mem-
ber buildings.
• The first paid executive was
a retired U.S. Air Force lieuten-
ant general.
• Allied members were
allowed to join BOMA for the
first time and were called “sup-
plier” members.
• The first trade show was
held at the Petroleum Building
– 12 suppliers exhibited with
only seven attendees.
• Denver Metro BOMA
hosted the BOMA National
Convention in 1972 with over
1,200 attendees.
• “BOMettes” were estab-
lished as women began to join
BOMA. They wore member
vests to separate themselves.
• BOMI Institute and CU
kicked off the first ARP (now
RPA designation) class in
Denver.
• The movie “Towering
Inferno” created concern over
high-rise office buildings and
fire safety needs. Tenants
panicked and building codes
were discussed in the state
Legislature.
Originally any buildings over
75 feet were required to install
automatic sprinkler systems.
After things settled down with
the state and city code makers,
older buildings were “grand-
fathered” and did not have to
convert.
1980s
• First woman executive was
Sally Stern, who went on to
become an active allied mem-
ber.
• BOMA sponsored a horse
for the Denver Mounted Patrol.
The horse’s name was BOMA,
which was displayed in bright
yellow letters on a blue back-
ground.
• First Member of the Year
Award was presented to Ron
Simpson, former Denver BOMA
and BOMA International presi-
dent, as well as chair of the
BOMI Institute.
• First female president,
Bonnie Emge with Fuller, was
elected in 1987.
1990s
• The Americans with
Disabilities Act was passed and
signed into law by President
George H.W. Bush on July 26,
1990. BOMA International
immediately created the ADA
Guidebook and the subsequent
tenant guidebook, “Opening
Doors,” to help owners and
managers comply with the new
law.
• Denver Metro BOMA’s
membership and influence in
the community increased sig-
nificantly.
• In 1999, 555 17th Street
(then known as Qwest Tower)
was the first Denver building
to win the BOMA International
TOBY Award in the category
of office buildings between
500,000 and 1 million square
feet.
2000s
• Following 9/11, Denver
Metro BOMA, BOMA
International and its industry
partners teamed up to form
the Real Estate Information
Sharing and Analysis Center
(REISAC), which provides bul-
letins on terrorist threats and
related activities.
• In June 2003, Denver
BOMA, along with the FBI,
Denver and surrounding
cities’ police, SWAT, OEM, fire,
HAZMAT, EMS, the Red Cross
and other first responders, held
a disaster exercise in Republic
Plaza with over 140 members
as volunteer “victims.”
• BOMA Denver moved from
the BOMA International South
West Region to the Midwest
Northern Region because
Denver had more in common
with the cities in that region.
• In 2007, BOMA
International introduced the
7 Point Challenge to incentiv-
ize voluntary market-driven
efforts among commercial real
estate companies to reduce use
of natural resources, nonrenew-
able energy sources and waste
production.
• Denver Metro BOMA,
along with several partners,
established the Watts to Water
program, a metrowide sustain-
ability program dedicated to the
reduction of energy and water
consumption.
• In 2008, building managers
and owners played an integral
role in preparedness for and
communications with first
responders for the Democratic
National Convention held in
Denver.
2010s
• Denver Metro BOMA hired
a local public affairs firm and
began aggressively advocating
on behalf of building owners
rights with the city of Denver
and other surrounding jurisdic-
tions.
• BOMA Denver created
the Emerging Professionals
Committee to address the needs
of newer professionals in the
CRE industry.
• The MOB (Medical Office
Building) SIG was formed to
meet the increasing needs of
owners and managers of these
buildings.
• The Denver area economy
started to recover from the eco-
nomic downturn, and the office
market began a robust expan-
sion, with steadily declining
vacancy, solid net absorption
and a well-planned develop-
ment pipeline.
• BOMA Denver partnered
with the Denver City Energy
Project to encourage bench-
marking energy use and offer
discounted education in sus-
tainability.
2
Union Station between 1915-1920
Union Station now
Denver office buildings are going green, and some of Denver’s newest and greenest buildings serve as a hallmark of environmental sustainability.
