BOMA/NY Tells the US Attorney General: Enough!

NEW YORK , Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Association representing the 50,000 property management professionals responsible for the safety and security of the 1.5 million tenants working in Lower Manhattan, The Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York, Inc. (BOMA/NY) is staunchly opposed to holding yet another terrorism trial in Lower Manhattan and is taking its case directly to the US Attorney General's office.

In a letter sent to United States Attorney General Eric Holder, BOMA/NY President Edward M. Fallon, RPA,  stated that "holding this trial in an already traumatized community would be grounds alone to argue for a change of venue, but there are physical and financial implications that argue against holding the trial in Lower Manhattan and must be considered:

• While most Class A buildings in lower Manhattan have state-of-the-art security equipment/ procedures to meet today's terrorism challenges, the financial downturn has caused hundreds of other buildings to postpone installation of electronic access systems (which carry price tags in the hundreds of thousands) and perimeter access patrols. Additional costs of electronic and manned personnel would financially burden these owners and managers.
• Emergency Action Plans depend on easily accessible outdoor locations for evacuation; plans would have to be rewritten, certified and filed for this one-instance-only at an additional financial cost.
• Approximately 250,000 motor vehicles pass through Lower Manhattan's overburdened road system every day. Traffic flow is severely impeded now because of major construction on the area's three main highways. The trial could attract an estimated 20,000 or more members of the press with live trucks and other large automotive facilities that can barely be accommodated, will slow down Emergency Services access and will severely impede one's ability to navigate in Lower Manhattan. Delivery delays will cause financial hardships on small business.

BOMA/NY also stated that the trial will negatively impact leasing, reducing the revenue which funds security and management operations.

With approximately 780 company members, BOMA/NY is the largest chapter of BOMA International, the world's largest trade association.

SOURCE Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York, Inc.