News
Cadillac Fairview “Tops Off” the RBC Centre
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited recently celebrated the topping off of its $420 million, 1.2 million square foot office tower, RBC Centre. The official ceremony took place at the corner of Wellington and Simcoe Streets where a 15,000 pound portion of the building’s lantern was first signed by all guests in attendance, then hoisted 43 storeys.
Located in downtown Toronto and connected to the PATH system, the tower is scheduled to be completed in June 2009 and is the first major downtown office tower in Toronto to meet Leadership in Energy and Environment (LEED) New Construction (NC) Gold Standards.
“RBC Centre represents a new generation of office towers in Canada,” said Peter Sharpe, President and CEO of the Cadillac Fairview Corporation. “It is a building with a conscience and will serve as a green role model in commercial real estate for other ambitious projects. It is also a shining example of Cadillac Fairview’s enterprise-wide commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.”
Dubbed “Toronto’s most environmentally friendly office tower” by media, some of the building’s innovative features include:
- 18-inch raised floors throughout the building and floor-to-ceiling glass;
- On the first 10 floors of the building office workers can open their windows for fresh air;
- A computer controlled lighting and shelf system (a first in Canada), which combines four different lighting systems: as natural light increases the electric lights turn off, occupancy sensors enable light where there are people, a roller blind system protects office workers from glare in the summer and provides natural light in the winter, and there are indirect light fixtures throughout;
- The tower uses Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling and steam heating systems which significantly reduces energy costs and consumption;
- Office workers can open or shut vents near their workspace to regulate temperatures in their area;
- Rainwater will be collected in large cisterns and used for irrigation and toilet flushing on the first six floors of the building. All toilets will be dual-flush toilets, which mean users have to flush upwards for liquids and downwards for solids. And perhaps most importantly;
- 99 percent of the construction waste is being recycled.
“Because of the way this building was designed, built and will operate, the RBC Centre will be a more comfortable building for its occupants and tenants will enjoy significantly lower operating expenses, reduced energy consumption and reduced emissions,” explained Wayne Barwise, Senior Vice President of Office Development at Cadillac Fairview.
These innovative and green features have already lured several tenants to the building. As of November 2008, the RBC Centre was already 75 per cent leased with RBC Financial Group and RBC Dexia Investor Services occupying the second to 24th floors.
RBC Centre is owned and operated by The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, one of North America's largest investors, owners and managers of commercial real estate. For more than 50 years Cadillac Fairview has been leading the way in commercial real estate with innovative design, development and management. Cadillac Fairview and its affiliates currently own and manage 83 properties across North America. Cadillac Fairview is wholly-owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which invests to secure the retirement income of 278,000 active and retired teachers in Ontario.
For more information, please visit us at www.rbccentre.ca.
For leasing information, please contact:
Rory MacLeod
Vice President & Divisional Portfolio Manager
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd.
416.869.2284
Rory.MacLeod@cadillacfairview.com