25 York Street Achieves Platinum BOMA BEST® Certification

The third-party certification presented by BOMA Canada is the only assessment and certification program of its kind. BOMA BEST® is a unique, voluntary, national program designed to assess environmental performance and management of existing buildings. The six key areas evaluated include: energy, water, waste reduction and site, emissions and effluents, indoor environment, and environmental management systems. Properties can receive one of five levels of certification, and of the 1,800 properties currently certified; only 3% of properties have attained Platinum certification.

25 York Street, built by Menkes Developments Ltd., owned by Menkes Union Tower Inc.  and home to Telus Communications Inc. and other well known Tenants is a world-class commercial office tower located in downtown Toronto, sought after by high-end tenants in the financial sector. Located on once-abandoned railway lands on the northeast corners of York and Bremner, the project has helped revitalize the site on Toronto's waterfront. The complex, which sits on 1.8 acres, and offers 30,041 sq. ft. of excellent retail space on the ground level, consists of 30 floors of office space with a total of 786,231 sq. ft.. The building offers a direct PATH connection to Union Station, train, bus and subway routes, as well as in-building bicycle storage and shower facilities which affords the occupants of 25 York Street many alternatives to single occupancy vehicles. The property is fully leased.

The following innovative building features contribute to the healthy and productive environment for the tenants:

- Rooftop garden patios with indigenous species and xeriscaping.
- Rooftop community food gardens.
- Rainwater and steam condensate collection used as non-potable water for irrigation as well  as for flushing toilets and urinals for part of the tower.
- Central location and direct connection to Union Station, bus and subway routes.
- In-building secure bicycle storage with shower facilities.
- Zipcar and Bike Share programs.
- Magnificent 11' ceilings with windows extending from floor to ceiling, maximizing the intake of natural light on each floor.
- State-of-the-art light management system with high-efficiency lighting and occupancy sensors.
- A window management system with automatically adjusting shades throughout 70% the building to maximize view and day lighting while protecting people and work surfaces from direct sun.
- Pressurized raised floors providing individual temperature control and greater access to fresh air.
-Constant air-quality monitoring to ensure a healthy environment.
- Deep Lake Water Cooling system
- Under floor HVAC distribution with voice, data, and power cabling.
- Sub-metering of all tenants for electricity and natural gas usage.
- Award-winning recycling program encompassing paper, cans, bottles, organics, construction waste, furniture, electronics, batteries, printer cartridges, and fluorescent light bulbs.
- Zero Waste meetings and tenant appreciation events.
- Comprehensive year-round environmentally-focused tenant engagement program.

"BOMA BEST® certification offers the benefit of third-party environmental validation, it increases stakeholder awareness, and it helps assets secure market leadership. We are exceptionally proud to be recognised for our commitment to sustainability and our building management performance," said Gregory Brent, General Manager.