BOMA members build cities. And Calgary is one of them. Buildings, however, in and of themselves, do not make a good city. It is people who give a city its heart and soul.
One way BOMA contributes to the greatness of our city as a trade association is by facilitating the development of standards. For well over 25 years, BOMA has been promoting professionalism in our industry through our awards and recognition programs. The program developed by BOMA in Calgary in the early 1980s has evolved into a national awards program offered in all eleven Canadian cities served by BOMA. Elements of our awards program have found their way to the international stage in the form of the EARTH Award. These activities establish performance standards aimed at continuous improvement. As the level of excellence finds a new and higher threshold, all Calgarians benefit by way of better managed and healthier workplaces.
And healthy workplaces are high on the list for BOMA members. Through our BOMA BESt program, BOMA promotes sustainability and wellness in buildings through the establishment of best practices in the areas of energy reduction, water usage, hazardous materials, waste reduction and recycling and tenant engagement.
BOMA members too are very responsive to the service needs of tenants. On a largely voluntary basis they have responded well to the surge in interest for cycling. Many buildings where capacity exists have provided bike storage areas, change, showers and locker facilities. And some even have wash and work stations where cyclists can clean and effect minor repairs on their bikes. It has become something of an industry practice to include these amenities.
BOMA Calgary and the commercial real estate industry continue to contribute to building the great city of Calgary, just as each individual, group and company does on a daily basis. Each with our piece of the puzzle, we build a vision of the place we want to inhabit.
This article segment first appeared in ‘Building a Great City’, in the June edition of the BOMA Calgary News in Business in Calgary Magazine.