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The commercial real estate industry honored 15 commercial properties with The Outstanding Building of the Year® (TOBY®) Awards last night at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s annual conference, the 2015 BOMA International Conference & Expo in Los Angeles

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) welcomes new members to the ULI Board of Directors and ULI Operating Committee, and new ULI Trustees, all of whom started serving their terms July 1, 2015. The ULI Board of Directors oversees the development of ULI’s business strategy and business plan to guide the advancement of ULI’s mission, which is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide

The ULI Foundation Board of Directors provides leadership for the Foundation, which serves as the philanthropic source of funding for ULI through major gifts, endowment funds, and ULI Annual Fund contributions to support the Institute’s key programs, activities, and services.

The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) today announced the winners of its 65th Annual Journalism Awards, recognizing excellence in reporting, writing and editing stories about residential and commercial real estate

Scores of WeWork contracted cleaners, supportive office cleaners and City Council members will march in the Financial District on Wednesday to tell WeWork founders Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey to hire a responsible cleaning contractor that pays fair wages that meet the industry standard. Office cleaners up and down the East Coast will also launch solidarity campaigns on Wednesday

WSSC’s Fiscal 2016 (FY16) operating and capital budget of $1.4 billion goes into effect on July 1, focusing on the continued rehabilitation of water and sewer pipelines in WSSC’s system. The new budget includes a 6 percent revenue increase as well as fee increases, which will add approximately $12.60 to the typical customer quarterly bill, which is about $4.20 per month

Today, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Ron Curry and Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler will outline how a $400,000 EPA cleanup grant will help the city address contaminated properties known as brownfields sites.

Auto dealerships are unique property types whose characteristics can make valuation fun but challenging, according to a new book from the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers. “A Guide to Appraising Automobile Dealerships,” published last week by the Appraisal Institute, provides the necessary background on the complexities of valuing these properties, covering topics such as economic trends, locational issues that affect dealerships and re-imaging projects.

President Barack Obama has signed into law the “Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act,” which includes legislation to renew Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Dave Snyder, vice president, international policy at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) issued the following statement

NRG Renew LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc., an independent power producer, announced plans to develop a 20 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility that will generate clean, reliable solar power for delivery to Cisco’s San Jose, California (US) headquarters.

As a way to quickly access extensive research on the value of solar and renewable energy – from economic and environmental benefits to both consumers and businesses, to grid efficiencies and savings – the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has created a new resources page on its website.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing three facilities with the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Award for superior performance of their CHP systems. High-efficiency CHP technology reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. CHP captures the heat produced when electricity is generated and utilizes that heat—which would otherwise be wasted—to efficiently provide space heating, cooling, hot water, and steam for commercial, institutional and industrial use

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International announces the release of an update to its groundbreaking BOMA Energy Performance Contracting (BEPC) Model to reflect new and emerging best practices. BEPC was created in 2008 by BOMA International in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and in collaboration with major real estate companies and energy service companies (ESCOs).

Pending home sales continued to rise in May and are now at their highest level in over nine years, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Gains in the Northeast and West were offset by small decreases in the Midwest and South.

As part of the Energy Department’s effort to support U.S. businesses working to save money by saving energy, the Better Buildings Alliance’s Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign recognized 18 organizations for leading the way in efficient outdoor lighting today. In the past year, these organizations have committed to install efficient lighting across more than 470 million square feet of parking space – cutting energy use on average by 60 percent.

FY 2016 Application Workshop is open to applicants who wish to submit a fiscal year 2016 application for 9% and 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME funds or MHDC Fund Balance. We strongly recommend that developers who are interested in submitting a FY 2016 Rental Production Application attend. Registration will be open soon.

At least 24 structures were reduced to ashes when the so-called Sleepy Hollow Fire started as a brush fire in central Washington on Sunday afternoon and quickly spread due to hot and dry conditions, underscoring the harsh realities of how quickly a fire can spread and threaten properties this time of the year.

Now is the time to highlight those buildings, initiatives and innovations that shape, inform and catalyze the high-performance planning, design, construction and operations processes. Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) issued the Call for Entries for its 2015 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building and Community Awards. The Beyond Green™ Awards are a great way to recognize projects and activities that contribute to making high-performing, resilient buildings and communities.

As the housing market continues its recovery, homeowners are increasingly seeking more square footage while simultaneously looking for more accessibility inside and outside of the home. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey for the first quarter of 2015, which focuses specifically on overall home layout and the use of interior and exterior space.

During Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference & Expo, January 11-15, 2016, in Washington, D.C., the Institute will engage the entire building community in developing solutions for Achieving a Resilient Future. Through two collaborative tracks, the Conference will examine efforts underway within multiple segments of the industry to facilitate discussions on different facets of the built environment and develop coordinated strategies for resiliency.