Menkes Developments’ 25 York St. in Toronto is the first office building in Canada to receive Fitwel certification.
“We view Fitwel as a great initiative to allow us to engage with our tenants in new ways, and as a way to measure our performance in promoting health and well-being at our properties,” says Jon Douglas, director of sustainability at Menkes. “We want to create opportunities for our occupants to live their healthiest lives by making this goal convenient and actionable to them, and Fitwel is a practical program to support Menkes in delivering on this objective.”
Created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the General Services Administration, Fitwel aims to bring a culture of health and wellness within both private and public-sector office and residential properties. The Center for Active Design is the licensed operator of Fitwel.
A Fitwel scorecard includes more than 55 evidence-based design and operational strategies that enhance building environments by requiring a standard of excellence in seven health impact categories, the company says. These include healthy food options, occupant safety, physical activity, well-being, social equity, morbidity and absenteeism and community health.
In addition to achieving Fitwel certification, 25 York St. has aligned itself with the BOMA BEST certification system – a strategic Canadian partner to Fitwel.
Completed in 2010, the building is a partnership between Menkes and the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. It is home to Telus. The Class “AAA” office tower sits on 1.8 acres and offers 30,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the ground level, along with 30 storeys of more than 780,000 sq. ft. of office space.
Menkes also offers a range of services and programs to promote wellness separate from the certification, such as on-site flu shot clinics. The Menkes Healthy Spaces program, a three-year well-being initiative, focuses on encouraging Menkes commercial office occupants to partake in healthier lifestyle choices through targeting four main areas – eating well, being active, maintaining health and engaging the mind.
