New Law Raises New Issues at Bargaining Table

DALLAS-A federal mandate to remove old cabling from commercial structures has turned into a negotiating point, with the potential to kill deals, says a Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. senior director.

Dallas-Fort Worth building inspectors are enforcing the law, which took effect in January, before issuing occupancy permits to tenants. Randall D. Thompson, C&W’s senior director of program management, tells GlobeSt.com that the cost of compliance and who pays have become stickling points at the bargaining table. And, it pleads a strong case for tenants to choose newer space over second-generation buildings, where cabling from years of tenant turnover and system changes line conduits between ceilings and concrete decks.

The feds, in light of Sept. 11, updated the National Electrical Code for the first time since 1975 and ordered removal of unused low-combustion cabling from plenum spaces. But, the new law failed to say who was tasked with the responsibility…and cost.