Mayor David  Miller Celebrates Eco-tecture at its Best In Mid-Town Toronto

June 7, 2007

Yonge and Eglinton is now home to Toronto’s first Green apartment building where today, Mayor David Miller marked the official opening of Minto Roehampton with a tree-planting ceremony.

Centrally located, Minto Roehampton is a 16-storey sustainable rental building, designed and built to embrace healthy living, promote energy savings and sustainability and protect the environment.

Minto’s sustainability commitment is far-reaching but more importantly it is validated. Minto Roehampton is a LEED®-Canada candidate for Gold Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), to be independently reviewed by the Canada Green Building Council’s vigorous rating system.  In 2005, Minto committed to designing and building all Minto’s high rise communities as LEED® rated buildings.  Radiance@MintoGardens, located in North York, is the first LEED®-Canada certified condominium in the country.   For new detached single-family homes, Minto offers ENERGY STAR™ rated homes. 

Minto has also been selected among the very best in the country to construct an environmentally-friendly home as part of the CMHC Equilibrium Housing Initiative. The home, Minto InspirationTM will deliver on the goal of the CMHC Initiative to create healthy, energy-efficient housing that produces as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis.

“Minto’s approach is to put our customers and the environment first. That’s why we built Minto Roehampton to meet the LEED gold criteria and that’s why our goal is to build all our future apartments and condominiums to the LEED standard of design and construction,” said Alan Greenberg, President, MintoUrban Communities Inc.

Completed in 2007, the 148-suite building is currently over 80 percent occupied. Available suites range in size from 510 sq. ft. to 878 sq. ft., starting from $1450/month. Furnished suites are also available.

“Through healthy-living building practices, LEED buildings provide better air quality and a more comfortable and healthy indoor environment for residents,” said Andrew Pride, Vice-President of  Minto Energy Management.

Minto energy innovations are unique and extensive, reducing overall consumption by over 35% compared to code.    The MintoInspired HRV (heat recovery ventilation), delivers fresh, filtered air to each suite and circulates fresh healthy air throughout the suites for improved ventilation and living comfort. The energy-saving “All off Switch” turns off all ceiling lights and exhaust fans with the flick of one switch. 

Minto Roehampton is the only new multi-residential building of its kind to utilize renewable passive solar energy to preheat fresh corridor air.  Other environmental benefits include reduction of greenhouse gas production; rainwater harvesting; low flow showerheads and dual flush toilets; energy efficient appliances; motion sensor controls on common area lighting; compact fluorescent lighting; ease of use of public transit by being located close to the subway line; and the installation of a tri-sorter recycling chute on all floors.  In addition, Minto Roehampton’s electricity consumption is reduced overall because of Minto’s corporate initiative to upgrade electricity generated in the building to wind power certificates.

Minto has seen results that are clear and measurable in their other new developments – waste diversion rates exceed 70% due to innovative and convenient multi-stream waste systems, over 50% less water being consumed than a typical new building (saving 30,000,000 litres of  water annually), and Minto Roehampton has met and in many instances exceeded the City of Toronto Development Standards.

The construction of the building involved a rigorous construction waste management program which more than doubled the Toronto Green Standard for local material use.  Minto has diverted over 90% of construction waste from landfills exceeding the Development Standard target of 75%.  Over 40% of materials used were locally harvested, manufactured and/or supplied within 800 km of the site.  

Minto is the recipient of the 2007 Canadian Urban Institute’s City Livability Award presented by the Canadian Urban Institute. The Urban Leadership Awards honour outstanding individuals and corporations that have made contributions to the quality of urban life in creating more liveable urban spaces. 

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For more information visit www.minto-roehampton.com or contact:

Note: jpegs of Minto Roehampton are available by contacting bmerrick@tcgpr.com