This help desk is a free resource intended for discussion purposes only. Neither BOMA, its chapters, affiliates, or Extreme Measures Inc.® are responsible for the information, comments or opinions expressed herein. For complete information, refer to the official publications of the standards themselves.
Hello,
We were asked by a client to apply BOMA calculations to the Retail space of a new construction project. This project is mixed use in the sense that it includes retail uses in what is, primarily, a residential tower. The building is 27 stories and the residential to retail ratio (in terms of area) is about 11:1. We are an architecture firm and not BOMA specialists; given our basic understanding of ‘mixed use’, we purchased the ‘Mixed-Use Properties’ standard. In reviewing the section on ‘Application and Use’, it says: “If the governing documents classify the property as a mixed-use property, then this mixed-use standard should be applied.” It’s the use of the word ‘should’ that confuses me. If we apply a single-use standard to the retail component in this mixed-use building, is this still a valid BOMA calculation? We need to understand with certainty which standard applies; if we need to include ‘mixed-use common areas’ for an ‘official’ BOMA result, we need to be able to notify our client of the extra time we’ll need to consider these extra spaces. It’s clear that the single-use standard would be simpler. We’ve already purchased the ‘Mixed-Use Properties’ standard; have we wasted $60 having purchased the wrong one? Please advise.
Thank you.
Hi Mathieu,
I would not use the Mixed Use Standard unless there was an office component as well. You will gain no advantage using the Mixed-Use Standard in this case. I would recommend using the BOMA Retail Standard for the retail portion of the building and ignoring the residential component completely. The results you get for retail will be the same as if you used the Mixed-Use Standard, with a significantly less work.
Thank you, David. That means we need to purchase the other standard. Out of curiosity, why would the result be the same? If we include the 'mixed-use common areas' for the building, of which there are many (loading, lobby, atrium, contribution of mechanical space), would this not dramatically influence our final areas?
The BOMA Retail Standard does not allocate any Common Areas to the tenant areas (known as Gross Leasable Area in the Standard). The Gross Leasable Area is a standalone area and it is usually the only number that really matters (except for possibly ancillary areas in the case of a restaurant patio or other unenclosed area used exclusively by a retail occupant). Although it is recommended to measure the common areas, they are optional under the standard. So the Gross Leasable Areas will be exactly the same under Retail or Mixed-Use. If there is a need to determine how common area is apportioned in the building for tax purposes or maintenance or some other reason than the Mixed-Use Standard might be useful, but that doesn't appear to be the case here.
Thank you for the quick responses, David. I'll purchase the appropriate guide and review. I wonder if I might ask one more question. Would a separate dedicated retail storage area count for the Gross Leasable Area for the tenant? We do also have a roof terrace that is only accessible through the retail tenant. Would this also count toward the GLA?
The storage area would likely be included as Gross Leasable Area. The roof terrace would either be allocated as an Unenclosed Area or an Ancillary Area. If there is a separate agreement specific to the occupant for the use of the terrace, it will be an Ancillary Area.
Alrighty - thanks, again.