theMART in Chicago is the first project to successfully be awarded Fitwel Certification for both owner and tenant occupied spaces, totaling 4.2 million gross square feet
November 13, 2018, Chicago, IL— The Center for Active Design (CfAD) has announced that theMART, located in the River North District of Chicago, has achieved a Fitwel 2 Star Rating, recognizing the property’s ability to support the physical, mental, and social health of its occupants. theMART, owned and managed by Vornado Realty Trust, is the largest privately held commercial building in the United States. The property is over 4 million square feet, spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day. The largest building to date to receive Fitwel Certification, theMART also represents the first certification achieved under Fitwel’s Multi-Tenant Whole Building Scorecard for workplaces. The iconic and historic building now includes strengthened operational and design features that support a healthy environment for its hundreds of tenants. The Fitwel Certification System is the leading global health certification that optimizes buildings to support occupant health.
The Center for Active Design (CfAD) developed the Fitwel Multi-Tenant Whole Building Scorecard, based on Vornado’s interest in impacting the entire building, including leased spaces, rather than solely focusing on owner occupied areas. theMART successfully achieved this Fitwel designation through its centralized management and rigorous operating standards that improve physical, social, mental and community health for its occupants. theMART is not only located in the highly walkable and transit friendly downtown business district in Chicago, but it also overlooks the Chicago Riverfront, a nine-block public amenity for tenants and visitors to enjoy. Other notable features of theMART are the recently designed Grand Stair, which is visible from the main entryway and accessible for tenants and visitors alike, as well as Marshall’s Landing, a food and beverage outpost which can seat more than 800 people in an informal, collaborative environment. Vornado has also actively established policies to create healthy indoor and outdoor environments for tenants, including tobacco-free, indoor air quality, and green purchasing policies.
“theMART has a long history as an iconic business hub for the City of Chicago. Our recent renovation continues to transform the building to meet the modern needs of companies and the people they employ. We are very pleased that the Center for Active Design and the Fitwel Certification have recognized our innovation and prioritization of health and wellness for our property’s tenants and visitors,” said Myron Maurer, COO of theMART.
“Vornado continues to demonstrate their leadership role in the healthy building movement, by taking on the challenge of implementing Fitwel at the scale and complexity of theMART and impacting thousands of people. Their success with Fitwel demonstrates the potential for buildings of all sizes to be optimized to support health,” said Joanna Frank, president & CEO, CfAD.
In only eighteen months, Fitwel has gained rapid global traction, with over 1,300 users representing over 600 companies in over 35 countries. Additionally, over 150 projects have been Fitwel certified or are under review for certification, impacting more than 465,000 people in workplaces and residential buildings. Fitwel is working with companies to ensure health is an integrated part of the design, development, and management of real estate portfolios. Now more than ever, data-driven resources that support companies’ ESG strategy, such as Fitwel, are being utilized by industry leaders, in response to the growing demand from investors for proven corporate responsibility.
Fitwel and the Center for Active Design
Named one of Fast Company’s 2017 Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Social Good, Fitwel is the premiere global health certification system for optimizing building design and operations. Generated by expert analysis of over 3,000 academic research studies, Fitwel is implementing a vision for a healthier future where all buildings and communities are enhanced to strengthen health and wellbeing. Fitwel was created as a joint initiative led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention together with the General Services Administration. The Center for Active Design, an international non-profit that uses design to foster healthy and engaged communities, was awarded the exclusive operating license in 2016 with the mandate to expand Fitwel globally to the private sector. www.fitwel.org
About Vornado Real Trust and theMART
Vornado Realty Trust is a preeminent owner, manager and developer of real estate with a portfolio including some of the world’s most iconic properties. In Manhattan, Vornado has ownership and management interest in over 30 million square feet of office space, over 50% of which is located in the fast growing West Side of Manhattan, and nearly 3 million square feet of street retail, over 50% of which is located around Times Square and the upper Fifth Avenue areas of New York City, as well as the 4.2 million square foot MART (theMART www.themart.com) in Chicago and the 555 California Street complex in San Francisco. Vornado is the largest owner of LEED-certified property in the United States, with more than 23 million square feet of LEED-certified properties, and 19 million square feet at LEED Gold level. Vornado commemorated 50 years on the NYSE in 2012 and has been a member of the S&P 500 since 2005.
