Say your building has some extra, unused space—perhaps in the basement, or on the ground floor near the doorman’s station. What to do with it? Two words: Storage. Lockers. If you already have storage lockers, install mor…
In 1906, the dashing and amply-mustachioed Stanford White was shot dead by one Harry Kendall Thaw during a show at the Madison Square Roof Garden. Thaw was the jealous husband of one of White’s old flames, and the press dubbed the resul…
Last November marked the completion of a two-year, $20 million renovation of the lobby of the Empire State Building—a pretty hefty sum just to retrofit such a particular space. While the cost was certainly of large proportions, it is no…
For years, the hospitality industry has been fighting a chemical war against bed bugs. Now, with the growing menace of pesticide-resistant bed bugs and increasing documentation of human injury from harsh chemicals, the question to consi…
Insurance is a relatively simple concept that any homeowner can understand. You purchase a policy paying a premium to an insurer, and when a claim gets filed, the insurer pays. So in theory, insuring your co-op or condo building should …
The leading factor responsible for the Great Recession—fraudulent mortgage lending—remains a thorn in the side of the nation’s fledgling economy. It started with the false promise of home ownership to many susceptible, under-financed peo…
As the winter months fade into spring, it’s easy to try and forget about heating and all the costs it incurs. For managers, board members and others with an eye on a co-op or condo building’s budgetary bottom line, now may be the perfect…
Unless it's a thoughtful gift or a party in their honor, nobody likes surprises. That's especially true when it comes to sudden, serious, or non-negotiable repairs to a co-op or condo building. A building community must have enough mon…
It’s no secret these days that co-op and condo operating costs are going through the roof, so to speak, and boards and managers are all looking for effective ways to generate cost savings. Building management looks at fuel and energy u…
Whether it is redesigning light fixtures in a common space or replacing a roof, repair jobs and capital improvement projects are like death and taxes, they are inevitable. Whereas a building administrator or a managing agent most often …