SANTA ANA, Calif., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubb & Ellis RealtyInvestors, LLC today announced Gateway One has been awarded the St. LouisTOBY by the Building Owners and Managers Association International. Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors acquired Gateway One in February 2006 onbehalf of tenant-in-common investors. The property is a 15-story, Class A,409,000 square-foot, office tower located in St. Louis, Mo. Gateway One is100 percent leased to a combination of retail and office tenants, includingPeabody Holding Company as its largest tenant leasing approximately 160,000square feet. The property was awarded the TOBY in the 250,000 to 499,999square feet division. Now in its 23rd year, the mission of the TOBY Awards, according to BOMAInternational, is to recognize excellence in building management,operational efficiency, tenant retention, emergency planning and communityimpact. Locally, the competition involves a site inspection and interviewby a team of judges comprised of chapter members of different professions,and includes at least one property manager or a building engineer. "This is a prime example of the high standards we hold when acquiringproperties on behalf of investors," said Kent Peters, Executive VicePresident of Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors. Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors has received awards in all categories ofthe TOBY including local, regional and international. Gateway One will now compete for the regional TOBY in the MidwestNorthern region. About Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors, LLC is the real estate investment andasset management subsidiary of Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leadingreal estate services and investment firm. Grubb & Ellis Realty Investorsand affiliates manage a growing portfolio of assets valued in excess of$5.7 billion located throughout 30 states. One of the nation's most activebuyers and sellers of commercial real estate, Grubb & Ellis RealtyInvestors has completed acquisition and disposition volume totalingapproximately $10 billion on behalf of program investors since its foundingin 1998; more than 70 percent of this volume has been transacted since Jan.1, 2005. Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors and affiliates are currently buying andselling properties throughout the United States, offering a full range ofcommercial real estate investment programs, including tenant-in-common(TIC) programs for investors structuring tax-deferred (like-kind) exchangesunder Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, non-traded public realestate investment trusts (REITs), multi-member limited liability companies(LLCs) and institutional investments. Through the Grubb & Ellis WealthManagement program, Grubb & Ellis Realty Investors also offers high networth investors a comprehensive program to build or expand their commercialreal estate portfolio, whether their investment objectives are 1031exchange driven or not. About BOMA International BOMA International was founded in 1907 as the National Association ofBuilding Owners and Managers. The association assumed its present name in1968 as it broadened its reach to include Canada and other affiliatesaround the globe. Today, BOMA International represents 92 localassociations throughout the United States and 12 affiliates in Australia,Brazil, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines,Russia and South Africa. BOMA's 16,500-plus members own or manage more thannine billion square feet of commercial properties in North America. BOMA International is a primary source of information on officebuilding development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumptionpatterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancystatistics and technological developments. Throughout BOMA International's 100-year history, its goal has alwaysfocused on actively and responsibly representing and promoting theinterests of the commercial real estate industry through effectiveleadership and advocacy, through the collection, analysis and disseminationof information, and through professional development.
