Developer's Night goes green

Real Estate Weekly, April 16, 2008

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"Going Green" was the focus at The Industrial and Office Real Estate Brokers Association of the New York Metropolitan Area's (IOREBA's) 16th Annual "Developer's Night" dinner on March 31. Approximately 200 IOREBA members and friends attended the popular event, which each year showcases the projects of dozens of regional developers and includes a panel discussion on a pressing industry issue.

Representing the New Jersey Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Bill Lashbrook, senior vice president, PNC Bank Real Estate Finance, moderated this year's panel, which explored green practices. Participants included Joshua Adler, partner, Adler Development; LEED-certified Architect Keith Lesser, partner of IS&L; Laurie McMahon, senior vice president, Property and Project Management, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers in Washington, DC; and Irene Santoscoy, EHS program manager for Properties and Transactions at the General Electric Company.

"The panelists each brought a distinct perspective and expertise", however, they all agreed that 'going green' must be a mindset for real estate practitioners," noted IOREBA President Hal Messer of NAI James E. Hanson. "For tenants, it means letting your landlords know what you want. For developers, it means integrating the process from the start to finish, to plan the design, engineering, construction and operation to be environmentally sensitive, sustainable and sensible. The bottom line is that we need to develop a philosophy as business people and citizens to make a difference through our own actions and to spread the word so that others buy in to the concept of thinking green and doing their part."

Proceeds from Developer's Night benefit IOREBA's Scholarship Fund. The organization awards substantial cash scholarships annually to graduate students studying real estate at universities and colleges in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. In recent years, funds also have been granted for special needs to high schools.

"Going green" was the focus at The Industrial and Office Real Estate Brokers Association of the New York Metropolitan Area's 16th Annual " Developer's Night" dinner. Hal Messer, IOREBA president, is second from left. The discussion panel included (left to right): Laurie McMahon, senior vice president, property and project management, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers in Washington, DC; (Messer); Bill Lashbrook, senior vice president, PNC Bank Real Estate Finance, who served as moderator; Joshua Adler, partner, Adler Development; LEED-certified architect Keith Lesser, partner of IS&L; and Irene Santoscoy, EHS program manager forproperties and transactions at the General Electric Company.