Maryland’s Montgomery County sets energy use standards for commercial buildings

The regulations, which apply to buildings 25,000 square feet or larger, are a part of the county’s efforts to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

$10.7M court upgrade to be one of the last projects to use NYC’s old contracting method

The city’s new method of contracting will help projects like the judicial center renovation get done sooner, city officials say.

Operational changes, education can help curb cleaning complaints, survey says

Implementing daytime cleaning schedules, staff training and occupancy technology can reduce the amount of “subjective or frivolous” complaints and help to optimize operations.

Hyatt creates wellness advisory board to enhance meetings offerings

The Wellbeing Collective Advisory Board, consisting of leaders across various industries, aims to help the hotel company innovate its wellness experiences.

Outpatient practices migrating to office, retail spaces

Limited space in purpose-built medical outpatient buildings is driving providers to other property types, a JLL report says.

Microgrids called a low-burden way to ensure backup power

Facilities managers can lower upfront costs and avoid disruptive maintenance checks by subscribing to a resiliency-as-a-service platform, a microgrid executive says.

New York state offers $5M for existing building energy innovations

Providers that have already received federal, state, local or other incentive funds can receive up to $1 million to accelerate development of their energy efficiency solutions, the state energy research authority says.

Baltimore property set for office-to-residential conversion for sale

The developer planned to turn the city’s first high-rise office building into apartments before facing financial difficulties.

Construction job openings drop 42% YOY as labor churn accelerates

Demand for construction workers has softened in recent months amid uncertainty stemming from President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Madison, Wis., benchmarking program to phase in smaller buildings

Continuous benchmarking and system tune-ups can help owners and operators reduce annual energy use and provide cities with necessary information for setting performance targets, experts say.

How bad asset tags undermine facilities management

Asset tagging can help building operators track equipment, streamline maintenance and prevent downtime, but there’s a recurring problem: teams realizing too late their labels have failed.

The prospect of a private prison boom offers opportunities — and risks — for operators

Barriers to entry, including public-relations challenges, remain high despite the Trump administration’s embrace of privately operated facilities.

EPA launches sweeping deregulation effort on industrial emissions rules

The cross-industry actions could impact chemical manufacturers and others subject to the Clean Air Act and emissions standards.

VendorPM adds contracts to vendor management platform

With the new module, contracts, compliance and other functions are managed in a single workflow, improving visibility and reducing risk, the company says.

Occupancy-based controls found to cut energy use 22%

Implementing ceiling- and wall-mounted sensors connected to a building management system could pay for themselves in two years, a Schneider Electric paper says. 

Top airports create environment ‘where passengers feel valued’

As customer expectations continue to rise, airports are under pressure to innovate and enhance their offerings.

Amazon to expand its use of in-house AI tools to conserve water, reduce energy use

The tools have helped identify underground water leaks, faulty energy meters and malfunctioning refrigeration equipment at its facilities, the company says.

May 4 is St. Louis’ first building performance compliance deadline

The city’s BEPS requires the top 65% of energy users for each building type to reduce energy use by the deadline. The standards get stricter over time.

EPA revisiting dozens of climate, environment rules in ‘day of deregulation’

The agency said it would roll back a range of rules and programs, including some that are foundational to its efforts to address climate change. A new WOTUS definition is expected, as well as rollbacks to an emissions reporting program.

Building automation systems: A game-changer if you know how to keep score

By tracking data beyond the problem you’re trying to solve, you can surface unseen value.

Anti-slip mats, late-night safety among Barnes & Noble union contract requirements

Workers will have access to back braces, wrist guards, and anti-slip mats for the café area. There will also be stools at every Barnes & Noble information desk and cash register. 

Gross bathroom? It can cost your customer experience

Dirty restrooms, out-of-stock paper towels, and stalls with gaps can flush away an otherwise positive customer experience and send sales down the toilet.

Non-prime office buildings look to concessions, rent drops as top-tier space shrinks

While amenity rich, well-located Class A+ and Class A building stock is leased up at a premium, operators of non-prime stock are having to raise concessions, experts say.

HVAC improvements shown to improve student outcomes

Metrics on absenteeism, suspension rates and math scores did better as upgrades or replacements were made, a study finds.

CBRE draws on company veterans to lead Americas property management business

The appointments will help lead the part of the Building Operations & Experience segment the property management giant created in January.