Sunday, September 13, 2009

Citi’s Office Campus in Jacksonville, FL Chosen as World’s Top Corporate Facility for 2008-2009

SANTA ANA, CA – Financial services leader Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) announced today that the Building Owners and Managers Association International named the Citi Jacksonville Office Campus in Jacksonville, Florida, “The Office Building of the Year” in the Corporate Facility category for 2008-2009. The campus is owned by Citi and managed by Grubb & Ellis Management Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of leading real estate services and investment firm Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE).

TOBY winners were recognized for excellence in office building management and operations in specific categories of building size or type. To win the international award, the office buildings first won both local and regional competitions. Judging was based on community impact, tenant/employee relations programs, energy management systems, accessibility for disabled people, emergency evacuation procedures, building personnel training programs and overall quality indicators. Now in its 24th year, the TOBY Awards Program is recognized as one of the most prestigious and comprehensive programs in the commercial real estate industry.

“This award is a reflection of the culture we have built together, the work we do in the community, and the difference we make in the lives of others,” said Citi’s Jacksonville Site President Kristi Bageant-Epperson, Head of Branch Services for Citibank North America. “I am so proud of this Jacksonville team. I also want to thank and recognize Sheila Cribb, her Citi Realty Services team, and the Grubb & Ellis team, led by Senior Facility Manager Kim Newhouse for all they do for our campus.”

Grubb & Ellis Management Services has managed Citi’s Jacksonville Office Campus since it was built in 2004. “We are fortunate to have a close working relationship with Citi,” said Newhouse. “We are excited and proud to have teamed with Citi in earning the highest TOBY recognition possible, as well as to manage the first building in Jacksonville to have received the award.”

Grubb & Ellis Management Services’ national facility management relationship with Citi is led by Nanci D’Alessandro, Vice President and National Accounts Manager. Joseph Swingle, Executive Managing Director, Global Client Services, leads Grubb & Ellis teams delivering facility management services to the company’s national accounts.

The Citi Campus stretches across 628,000 square feet and consists of four, three-story interconnected buildings and two additional stand-alone buildings. Citi’s 4,800 employees enjoy the benefits of a state-of-the-art childcare facility, an on-site health and fitness center, medical center, full service café, and a 3.5 acre wildlife habitat. The campus is also registered with the U.S. Green Building Council, pursuing a LEED for Existing Buildings certification, for leadership in energy and environmental design.

This is the second year in a row a Grubb & Ellis Management Services-managed property has won the International TOBY in the Corporate Facility category – the Sony Building located in New York won the award last year.

Founded in 1907, the Building Owners and Managers Association International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. The 17,000-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and abroad. BOMA’s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. On the Web at www.boma.org.

Contacts:

Erin Mays, 734.223.8288, erin.mays@grubb-ellis.com
Janis Tarter, 415.658.4256, janis.tarter@citi.com

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