Industry Advocacy
For over a century, BOMA/Chicago has been the leading voice of Chicago’s office building industry, advocating at the City, County, and State levels.
BOMA/Chicago has an exceptional track record of advocating on a wide range of regulatory and legislative issues impacting building operations. Our clear, consistent voice ensures that members can contribute their professional expertise and industry perspectives to public policymaking.
Our advocacy efforts are focused on:
- Labor; and
Building Codes and Standards
BOMA/Chicago is committed to enhancing the safety and efficiency of Chicago’s office buildings. Through engagement with our government partners, BOMA/Chicago fosters a deliberative, cost-effective regulatory environment that ensures property management teams are equipped to safeguard tenants, staff, and assets.
Focus Areas:
- Safety and Efficiency: We collaborate with City and State officials to enhance building safety and efficiency reflecting best practices.
- Code Modernization: We participate in updating Chicago's building codes, including provisions for life safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency.
- Streamlined Permits and Inspections: We drive improvements in permitting and inspection processes to reduce delays and eliminate redundancies.
- Fire & Life Safety Codes: We partner with local first responders to ensure fire and life safety for tenants, employees, and visitors at Chicago’s high-rise buildings.
Emergency Preparedness
BOMA/Chicago collaborates to mitigate commercial office buildings’ disaster risks. Recognized as a key participant in public-private partnerships, BOMA/Chicago actively works with the City of Chicago’s emergency management agencies, serving on the Chicago Public Private Task Force (CPPTF). This collaboration involves senior officials from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), Chicago Police and Fire Departments, and private-sector representatives across various industries.
BOMA/Chicago also emphasizes preparedness by encouraging members to subscribe to emergency notification services for timely updates on weather, traffic, and other emergencies, ensuring they are equipped to respond effectively to any situation.
Focus Areas:
- Planning: We assist members with strategies to ensure safe environments for tenants, employees, and visitors.
- Prevention: We share measures to reduce or eliminate potential emergencies.
- Response: We provide training and resources to prepare building personnel for effective emergency response.
- Recovery: We support business continuity and disaster recovery with best practices and resources.
Energy
BOMA/Chicago drives innovation in energy efficiency while advocating for public policy that reduces energy costs. Through expert partnerships and educational programs, BOMA/Chicago supports commercial buildings to adopt energy efficient practices, leading to job growth, lower business costs, a stronger business climate, and a greener Chicago economy.
Focus Areas:
- Legislation and Regulation: We advocate for fair energy policies to reduce energy rates and overall costs at the Illinois General Assembly and Illinois Commerce Commission.
- Utility Partnership: We work closely with utilities responsible for delivering energy to BOMA/Chicago members to review policies, solve operational issues, and launch innovative pilot programs to drive energy efficiency.
- Smart Investments: We bring financing sources, technology, and expertise to members through various partnerships and educational programs.
Sustainability
BOMA/Chicago members are dedicated stewards of the environment, with a strong track record of education, best practices, and investment in energy efficiency. Chicago’s office industry embraces sustainability without the need for legislative mandates
BOMA/Chicago helps our commercial real estate sector embrace innovative practices that benefit both the environment and the economy.
Focus Areas:
- Green Building Leadership: We lead the nation in ENERGY STAR and LEED-certified building stock, reflecting the Chicago office industry’s commitment to sustainability.
- Energy Benchmarking and Rating: We play a key role in shaping Chicago’s Energy Rating System, requiring buildings over 50,000 square feet to report energy performance and display ratings.
- Lighting and Carbon Reduction: We collaborate with the City of Chicago on initiatives like Lights Out Chicago, reducing carbon emissions, and adopting adaptive lighting technologies.
- Transportation Advocacy: We engage to improve public transportation, reduce congestion, and support bicycle usage and rapid transit systems.
Labor
Chicago’s commercial office industry supports thousands of union jobs, including professions like elevator engineers, painters, plumbers, and beyond. In addition, BOMA/Chicago negotiates on behalf of members with our partner unions: SEIU Local 1 for janitorial and security services and IUOE Local 399 for building operating engineers.
BOMA/Chicago’s efforts ensure favorable labor conditions while supporting operational flexibility and stability for member buildings.
Taxation
BOMA/Chicago advocates for fiscal policies that support a competitive business environment, emphasizing the importance of a thriving commercial office market for job creation, economic growth, and entrepreneurship across the entire city. Our priorities include property taxes, income tax, real estate transfer taxes, and parking taxes.
Chicago has the highest commercial property taxes in the nation, driven by Cook County’s unique classification system and high government reliance on the property tax. These rising taxes have placed a significant burden on building owners and tenants, making it more challenging to attract investment to the city and impacting all of its neighborhoods. Commercial office buildings contribute over $1.5 billion in property taxes, accounting for nearly 20% of the city’s total property tax revenue.
Focus Areas:
- Property Tax Fairness: We advocate for transparency, fairness, and reform to prevent disproportionate tax burdens on commercial real estate and encourage growth across the city’s entire tax base.
- Property Tax Valuations: We call for reforms to Cook County’s outdated assessment practices and convoluted valuation processes.
- Local and State Taxation: We highlight how high state and local taxes influence business decisions to locate or remain in Chicago.
- Business Recruitment and Retention: We oppose corporate tax rate increases and their impact on the state's ability to recruit and retain businesses amid competition from other states offering more favorable tax climates.