With a 400-plus team of building managers, responsible for some 115 assets totaling 37 million sf, Popkin was concerned with more than simply how and when he would get home. In fact, as of Sunday morning, when this interview took place, he was still monitoring the condition of buildings from his Westchester home and preparing to determine what aspects of the firm's emergency preparedness plan--in place since Sept. 11--worked and what aspects failed.
As he reports, the first priority was to determine how widespread the problem was. From his MetLife building perch, he could see the stilled roof fans of Grand Central Station and he knew immediately that, "this was extensive."
Communication was key, says Popkin, but server-based Blackberries such as his company uses were down and cell phone use was sporadic at best. Equipped with two way radios, the manager could at least communicate with other CBRE staffers at 200 Park.
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John Salustri
John Salustri has covered the commercial real estate industry for nearly 25 years. He was the founding editor of GlobeSt.com, and is a four-time recipient of the Excellence in Journalism award from the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
