LightBox Launches City Directories in LightBox Live℠, Raising the Standard for Phase I Environmental Due Diligence

New ASTM-aligned, map-based City Directory solution delivers more defensible Phase I reports, clearer adjoining property analysis, and faster, technology-driven historical research

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LightBox, a leading provider of commercial real estate data and technology solutions, today announced the launch of City Directories in LightBox Live℠, a next-generation solution purpose-built to improve the quality, defensibility, and efficiency of Phase I Environmental Site Assessments.

Environmental professionals and lenders rely on historical research to assess risk. Yet traditional city directory workflows often depend on manual searches, inconsistent adjoining property definitions, and disconnected data sources, leaving room for missed records, incomplete analysis, and unnecessary delays.

LightBox City Directories changes that.

A More Defensible Standard for Environmental Engineers

LightBox City Directories is the solution fully aligned with ASTM E1527-21 standards for historical research. Using advanced technology, the platform:

• Systematically defines adjoining properties in accordance with ASTM guidance
• Accurately geocodes and maps historical addresses with rooftop-level precision
• Automatically identifies historically sensitive uses, such as dry cleaners and gas stations
• Integrates directories directly with Sanborn maps, historical aerials, tax parcels, and other critical datasets

Rather than relying on manual interpretation or static images, environmental engineers can now conduct a more consistent, comprehensive, and defensible review, focused precisely where risk may exist.

"This is a step change in how historical research should be conducted," said Eric Frank, Chief Executive Officer at LightBox. "By aligning directly with ASTM standards and eliminating manual gaps, we are enabling environmental professionals to produce more reliable Phase I assessments with greater confidence."

Better Risk Clarity for Lenders
For lenders and capital providers, the quality of a Phase I report directly impacts risk management and underwriting decisions.

LightBox City Directories enhances report reliability by:

• Improving the completeness of adjoining property coverage
• Reducing the likelihood of overlooked historical uses
• Increasing transparency through mapped, visualized analysis
• Standardizing research workflows across consultants and markets

The result is clearer insight into environmental risk exposure and greater confidence in lending decisions.

"I would feel more confident in the quality of Phase I Environmental Site Assessments if consultants were using City Directories in LightBox Live℠," an environmental risk director at a global top five financial institution noted. "The ability to review mapped, overlaid historical data in one integrated environment represents a meaningful improvement in managing environmental risk."

Faster Research, Smarter Focus

What once required hours or days of manually reviewing physical books or static scans is now completed in a fraction of the time. By automating property identification, geocoding, and high-risk use detection, LightBox enables consultants to focus their expertise where it matters most: interpreting risk, not searching for it.

"The new LightBox City Directory dramatically accelerates historical property research," said Albert Lojko, President at LightBox. "By replacing manual processes with intelligent technology, we are helping consultants deliver higher-quality reports while improving turnaround times for clients."

Setting the New Industry Baseline

As regulatory scrutiny and lending standards continue to evolve, expectations for historical due diligence are rising. LightBox City Directories establishes a new benchmark, one in which ASTM-aligned research, mapped accuracy, adjoining property precision, and integrated data are no longer optional enhancements, but foundational requirements for delivering reliable environmental reports.

"In today's risk environment, relying on fragmented or manual city directory processes may no longer meet the standard of care," Frank said.

To access a webinar demonstrating City Directories in LightBox Live, click here.
To order a LightBox City Directory report, click here.

About LightBox
LightBox is the leading data and workflow platform for commercial real estate (CRE) and location intelligence. The Company provides authoritative property, ownership, zoning, environmental, and transaction data powered by a proprietary nationwide parcel fabric and the LightBox ID — a standardized identifier that brings clarity and consistency to complex real estate assets. Through its LightBox Live platform and suite of capital markets, lending, and due diligence solutions, LightBox supports critical workflows across investors, lenders, brokers, environmental professionals, government agencies, and infrastructure operators. By transforming fragmented public and private records into structured, connected intelligence, LightBox enables customers to reduce risk, accelerate transactions, improve underwriting accuracy, and make more informed decisions about physical assets and portfolio exposure. Visit us at: www.LightBoxRE.com.

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SOURCE LightBoxRE