Article
Ajax Industrial Development Offers Turnkey ESG
March 10, 2023 4 Minute Read
Crestpoint Real Estate Investments’ new industrial campus in Ajax, Ontario, is focused on ESG.
To emphasize the point, the developer spells it out in the project’s name: Ajax Industrial on the Park.
The first phase of this three-building campus – currently under construction and slated for a 2024 delivery – will be a 700,000 sq .ft. industrial facility, with pioneering environmental specifications aimed at delivering superior energy efficiencies.
But what sets the project apart is that this industrial park, surrounded by 82 acres of green space and wetlands, offers what few others in the GTA can: access to walking trails and nature.
Employees at Ajax Industrial on the Park will be able to re-energize themselves by taking pleasant strolls through adjacent meadows as Duffins Creek and Millers Creek flow by.
The project will be connected to public transit, and also 400-series highways, but will be equipped with electric vehicle charging stations to help offset the buildings’ carbon emissions.
Ajax Industrial on the Park
More than the E, it’s the S & the G
“Two years ago, most saw automation when envisioning industrial facilities, with fewer workers inside the space,” says CBRE’s Samantha Sukumar, who is leasing Ajax Industrial on the Park.
“This project addresses the critical importance of skilled labour. Durham Region has a strong labour pool and we want to attract it. And we’re doing that by highlighting how this is an industrial campus unlike any other in the GTA.”
The emphasis here, Sukumar says, is not just on building sustainability and eco-friendly construction practices; above all else it’s about employee wellness.
“In the industrial market people spend a lot of time focusing on the E of ESG and not as much on the others. That’s not the case at Ajax Industrial on the Park. This will be one of the most forward-looking developments in the GTA when it comes to prioritizing worker wellness.”
Ajax Industrial on the Park will meet rigorous sustainability standards.
Durham Live
If creekside strolls don’t appeal, Ajax Industrial on the Park also happens to be located across the road from Durham Live, or DLive, with its hotels, casino and dining venues.
For corporate users, this could make Crestpoint’s industrial development an ideal head office location, Sukumar suggests. “They can stay at the hotel, have all their employees based here, and build up their workplace as an attraction in Durham.
“It’s just another example of how this is not your traditional industrial offering.”
Turnkey ESG
Crestpoint is ensuring the buildings at Ajax Industrial on the Park will meet rigorous sustainability standards.
This includes upping the roof and wall insulation to decrease heat loss and minimize the amount of heating required, helping to ultimately reduce carbon emissions.
Rooftop space on the buildings will support renewable energy in the form of solar photovoltaics panels.
And as noted, the facilities are being engineered to accommodate electric vehicle charging stations.
Not surprisingly, Ajax Industrial on the Park is targeting ESG-minded tenants.
“The idea is if companies are promoting ESG principles when it comes to the sustainable manufacturing of their products, then they’ll also want their real estate to reflect that ESG ethos,” Sukumar says.
ESG expertise
The experience of working on Ajax Industrial on the Park has given Sukumar a unique perspective on the intersection of ESG and industrial real estate, enabling her to hone this as a new area of professional expertise and do her part to promote sustainability.
“ESG is an essential aspect of development and leasing that will only become more critical in the years to come,” she says.
“I’m excited we can offer our clients this kind of specialized, forward-focused expertise. The future has arrived!”
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