Hello to everyone in beautiful New England. Once again it is time for change in our region. For some of you in the North, the most obvious sign of change in our region, the changing of the leaves, has already begun. Here in CT I have already been treated to a visual showcase of reds, oranges, and yellows.
Of course, along with the changing of the leaves comes the changing of the seasons and along with that, one of my least favorites, the changing of the temperatures. Maybe it's the fact that I am born and raised in New England and I know how "bad" it can get over the next few months, or perhaps it's because I am making my living as a property manager and I know how much this change will effect what I do. But either way, and even if I am dreading it, it just doesn't matter, because I can't stop it.
So, how do we, as property managers (and building owners, and facility managers, and asset managers, etc.) cope with this change? If you have read any of my previous articles, I am sure you know exactly how, and that's to be prepared.
Here in my area we have already fired up the heat in most of our buildings. A few 40's in the morning will do that for you. But it certainly wasn't a surprise. I knew it was coming. My staff knew it was coming, so we prepared.
Late summer is a great time to have your HVAC contractor (or in house staff if you are so lucky) come and inspect and service your equipment. At this point, it would be a lot easier to correct a problem then when the temp first drops and you fire up your equipment for the first time of the season. By that point (and on that day) most HVAC companies will be so backed up, you may have to wait a week before you see anyone.
So do yourself a favor, be prepared. It is a necessity in our field and it certainly makes life a little bit easier. And of course I mention this in regards to my job and our field, but obviously, this is great advice that will work everywhere in life. Being prepared and knowing what is coming will put you in the best possible position to succeed.
So, you ask, what have we been doing to position ourselves to succeed here in Greater Hartford BOMA? Well, I am glad you asked!
On October 2nd, we had one of our most impressive tours to date. We were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of the brand new Jackson Labs facility in Farmington. After a brief presentation on some of the key people involved in the project as well as some of the amazing work that will be performed at the labs, we were given the choice of 2 different tours. We were given the option to see the laboratory and office space, or we could see the "back of house" operations. Personally, I am a facilities guy and all that science would just be wasted on me anyway, I say, show me to your plant! I couldn't even begin to tell you how amazing this place is. This is the place where cutting edge goes when it wants to see what's coming next.
On Tuesday, October 21st we will be taking a look into some of the many projects currently going on in Hartford. And who better to lead this program then the director of the Hartford Department of Development Services, Thom Deller. Among the projects that we will be looking at will be UCONN's move into downtown, the latest developments on Front St., including the Infinity Theater, and the large scale I-quilt project designed to open up access from downtown to the CT River.
We will be holding our annual Holiday party on December 11th at 960 Main St. in downtown Hartford. And then of course we have some changes to plan for the next presidential term.
Please check in on our website at http://www.bomahartford.org/ for information on all of the great programs I have listed as well as any other information you may need regarding our local chapter and links to BOMA International.
If you are not a member, please give some consideration to attending one of our events (Of course our members should always consider attending) and checking us out. We are always looking for new members.
Wes Nicoll is the president of BOMA Greater Hartford, and is with Griffin Land, Bloomfield, Conn.