25 York St. earns LEED Platinum Certification

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2012 /CNW/ - 25 York St., Telus House Toronto, in downtown Toronto has achieved LEED Canada Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.

The development team include managing partner Menkes Developments Ltd., Alcion Ventures and HOOPP Realty Inc. Adamson Associates Architects and Sweeney Sterling Finlay & Co. are the architects.

Said Peter Menkes, President, Industrial and Commercial Division, Menkes Developments Ltd, "LEED Platinum certification is a gratifying testament to our continued commitment to sustainable building practices. It is validation of our commitment to providing highly efficient workplaces that help keep employees healthy, happy, and productive."

Located on the North East corner of York St. and Bremner Blvd., and completed October 29, 2009, 25 York St. includes such features as raised floor cold air delivery, deep water cooling, built-in blinds and perimeter radiant panels, all of which help reduce green house emissions, minimize operating expenses and provide the ultimate in year-round comfort for tenants, their employees and visitors to the building.

The 781,236 sq. ft. building includes 29 floors of commercial space topped with two mechanical floors on the roof and three floors of underground parking.

'Platinum' is the highest level of certification awarded by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), an internationally esteemed third-party certification program that promotes an holistic approach to sustainability by recognizing exceptional performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

25 York St. achieved outstanding results in each category through a variety of measures including meticulous site selection that promotes the continued development of the waterfront and is directly linked to Union Station, the biggest public transportation hub in the country; water use reduction in excess of 30 per cent through such considerations as plumbing and fitting efficiency, and water-efficient landscaping; advanced heating and cooling delivered via a raised floor network that reduced energy costs by up to 25 per cent; and leading-edge building technologies for the distribution of air, voice, data and power cabling.

"The achievement of this level of certification is the result of a dedicated partnership among operations and maintenance staff, property management, tenants and employees," Menkes added. "This is a significant milestone for Menkes, and for the city of Toronto."

The building has achieved other awards including LEED Core and Shell Gold certification; BOMA Best Level 4; HOOPP LEAP Award, 1^st place - Energy Performance Certificate; 2010 Design Exchange Award, Architecture Commercial - Bronze.

About Menkes Developments

Menkes Developments Ltd. is a fully integrated real estate company involved in the construction, ownership and management of office, industrial and residential properties. Menkes was founded in 1954 by Murray Menkes, who initially carried on business as a developer of single family homes.  Over the years, the company expanded significantly and branched out into other areas of real estate, and is now one of the largest private Canadian developers of residential, industrial and office properties.  Menkes has developed a portfolio of high quality, strategically located industrial and office buildings in the GTA, including the Beaver Creek Business Park in Richmond Hill, and the Procter & Gamble building and 5000 Yonge in North York.  For more information about Menkes, please visit menkes.com.

SOURCE: Menkes Developments Ltd.

David Eisenstadt / Rachel Yager
The Communications Group Inc.
416-696-9900 ext 36 / 0
[email protected] / [email protected]