Latest news with #ZeroCarbonDesign
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manulife Investment Management and Cedar Podium Investment Management to Partner on Zero-Carbon Student Housing Project in Kingston, Ontario
TORONTO, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management ("Manulife IM") and Cedar Podium Investment Management announced today a strategic partnership to develop a purpose-built student housing (PBSH) residence in Kingston, Ontario, strategically located downtown with direct access to Queen's University. Located at 283 Queen Street, the 15-storey development will provide 389 fully furnished bedrooms (178 units) and a suite of modern amenities, including a fitness centre, study areas, a social lounge, and centralized laundry facilities. The project is designed to meet Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Design certification and is targeting a 2-star Fitwel® rating—demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability, health, and wellness. This marks the inaugural collaboration between Cedar Podium and Manulife IM, laying the groundwork for a large-scale partnership focused on delivering high-quality, professionally managed student housing across Canada. The alliance combines deep sector expertise to help address the growing shortage of student accommodation nationwide. "Kingston is a top-tier destination for students, and this development represents a major step forward in supporting its growth," said Bernard Luttmer, CEO of Cedar Podium Investment Management. "Our partnership with Manulife IM reflects a shared commitment to sustainable, long-term solutions in the student housing sector." "As demand continues to grow, we see purpose-built student housing as a compelling opportunity to invest in resilient, community-enhancing assets, in an alternative asset class with significant tailwinds. We look forward to working alongside Cedar Podium on this forward-thinking strategic venture," said Marc Feliciano, Global Head of Real Estate at Manulife Investment Management. "Additionally, we believe additional student beds have an indirect positive impact on the broader housing market, as they can be a catalyst for conventional multifamily inventory to be released as students transition into these available assets." Kingston consistently ranks among Canada's best cities for students, known for its affordability, quality of life, and academic excellence, anchored by institutions like Queen's University. However, a critical housing shortage threatens to limit its potential. Research by global advisory firm Bonard highlights the lack of available student beds as a significant barrier to institutional growth and Canada's ability to attract international students. Historically dominated by small-scale, private landlords, the student housing sector is undergoing a transformation. Rising enrollment and limited supply have created urgent demand for professionally developed scalable solutions. This Kingston development aims to meet that demand with sustainability, livability, and accessibility at its core. Site preparation is currently underway, and full construction is expected to begin in Q2 2025. Completion and occupancy is targeted for Fall 2027. About Manulife Wealth & Asset Management As part of Manulife Financial Corporation, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management provides global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering people today to invest for a better tomorrow. As a committed partner to our clients and as a responsible steward of investor capital, we offer a heritage of risk management, deep expertise across public and private markets, and comprehensive retirement plan services. We seek to provide better investment and impact outcomes and to help people confidently save and invest for a more secure financial future. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit About Cedar Podium Investment Management Cedar Podium Investment Management is a Canadian purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) investment firm formed through a partnership between Pamoja Capital, Cedar Pacific Investment Management and Podium Group. The firm brings together global funds management expertise and Podium's local market knowledge to deliver high-quality student accommodation across Canada. The team has over $1.5 billion invested in the PBSA sector across 19,000 beds, including more than 39 buildings delivered and 7 under development. Cedar Podium is committed to better student outcomes and giving back directly to Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions and their students. Media contactElizabeth Bartlettelizabeth_bartlett@ SOURCE Manulife Investment Management View original content to download multimedia:
Cision Canada
21-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Manulife Investment Management and Cedar Podium Investment Management to Partner on Zero-Carbon Student Housing Project in Kingston, Ontario Français
TORONTO, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management ("Manulife IM") and Cedar Podium Investment Management announced today a strategic partnership to develop a purpose-built student housing (PBSH) residence in Kingston, Ontario, strategically located downtown with direct access to Queen's University. Located at 283 Queen Street, the 15-storey development will provide 389 fully furnished bedrooms (178 units) and a suite of modern amenities, including a fitness centre, study areas, a social lounge, and centralized laundry facilities. The project is designed to meet Canada Green Building Council's (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Design certification and is targeting a 2-star Fitwel ® rating—demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainability, health, and wellness. This marks the inaugural collaboration between Cedar Podium and Manulife IM, laying the groundwork for a large-scale partnership focused on delivering high-quality, professionally managed student housing across Canada. The alliance combines deep sector expertise to help address the growing shortage of student accommodation nationwide. "Kingston is a top-tier destination for students, and this development represents a major step forward in supporting its growth," said Bernard Luttmer, CEO of Cedar Podium Investment Management. "Our partnership with Manulife IM reflects a shared commitment to sustainable, long-term solutions in the student housing sector." "As demand continues to grow, we see purpose-built student housing as a compelling opportunity to invest in resilient, community-enhancing assets, in an alternative asset class with significant tailwinds. We look forward to working alongside Cedar Podium on this forward-thinking strategic venture," said Marc Feliciano, Global Head of Real Estate at Manulife Investment Management. "Additionally, we believe additional student beds have an indirect positive impact on the broader housing market, as they can be a catalyst for conventional multifamily inventory to be released as students transition into these available assets." Kingston consistently ranks among Canada's best cities for students, known for its affordability, quality of life, and academic excellence, anchored by institutions like Queen's University. However, a critical housing shortage threatens to limit its potential. Research by global advisory firm Bonard highlights the lack of available student beds as a significant barrier to institutional growth and Canada's ability to attract international students. Historically dominated by small-scale, private landlords, the student housing sector is undergoing a transformation. Rising enrollment and limited supply have created urgent demand for professionally developed scalable solutions. This Kingston development aims to meet that demand with sustainability, livability, and accessibility at its core. Site preparation is currently underway, and full construction is expected to begin in Q2 2025. Completion and occupancy is targeted for Fall 2027. About Manulife Wealth & Asset Management As part of Manulife Financial Corporation, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management provides global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering people today to invest for a better tomorrow. As a committed partner to our clients and as a responsible steward of investor capital, we offer a heritage of risk management, deep expertise across public and private markets, and comprehensive retirement plan services. We seek to provide better investment and impact outcomes and to help people confidently save and invest for a more secure financial future. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit Cedar Podium Investment Management is a Canadian purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) investment firm formed through a partnership between Pamoja Capital, Cedar Pacific Investment Management and Podium Group. The firm brings together global funds management expertise and Podium's local market knowledge to deliver high-quality student accommodation across Canada. The team has over $1.5 billion invested in the PBSA sector across 19,000 beds, including more than 39 buildings delivered and 7 under development. Cedar Podium is committed to better student outcomes and giving back directly to Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions and their students.
Cision Canada
07-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
BPA expands its sustainability and commissioning expertise with the acquisition of Ecovert and EcovertCx Français
MONTRÉAL, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ - BPA announces the acquisitions of Ecovert, a Toronto-based expert in sustainable development, and EcovertCx, a Kitchener-based specialist in building commissioning, marking a significant step in reshaping Ontario's sustainable engineering landscape. These strategic additions represent a major step forward in BPA's expansion across Ontario, reinforcing its multidisciplinary expertise and long-term commitment to high-performance building engineering. For building owners and developers, this integration translates into more comprehensive, turnkey solutions—leveraging the expanded service capabilities of a dedicated team of 1,000 professionals and access to specialized complementary expertise. "With the acquisitions of Ecovert and EcovertCx, BPA continues to build on its momentum in the Toronto market," said Patrick St-Onge, Executive Vice-President at BPA. "In just 18 months, we've significantly solidified our local presence through the integration of mechanical (TMP), electrical (HCC), structural (Honeycomb and DKWatson), sustainable development (Ecovert), and commissioning (EcovertCx) expertise. This positions us to better support both local and national clients with deeper technical capacity and more efficient project delivery." "This is much more than a geographic expansion—it's a strategic convergence of complementary expertise," added Dominic Latour, CEO at BPA. "Ecovert and EcovertCx are renowned in their respective fields. By joining forces, we're expanding our ability to drive innovation, deliver more integrated solutions to our clients, and further support our mission of building a sustainable future." Ecovert is a recognized leader in sustainable building design in Canada, with over 200 LEED-certified projects totalling more than 52 million square feet and contributions to 20% of all Zero Carbon Design building projects across the country. It also holds the distinction of having completed more CAGBC Zero Carbon Building™ (ZCB) certifications than any other firm in the country. With this partnership, BPA's Centre of Excellence in Sustainability now brings together more than 50 professionals—making it one of the largest teams of its kind in Canada. "Becoming part of BPA is a natural evolution for our team" said Jim Lord, Founding Principal at Ecovert. "This partnership allows us to scale our impact while staying true to our mission of delivering sustainable, high-performance buildings that benefit both people and the planet." EcovertCx is recognized as one of the foremost experts on building automation systems and troubleshooting of complex systems. "Joining BPA opens up incredible opportunities to expand our commissioning expertise while collaborating more closely with experts across all engineering disciplines," said Reg Barsoum, Principal and Co-Founder at EcovertCx. "Together, we can deliver even greater value at every stage of the building lifecycle." With this expansion, BPA is strengthening its commitment to environmental leadership and engineering excellence, while reinforcing its ability to deliver integrated, forward-thinking solutions across Canada. These acquisitions are a key milestone in BPA's strategic growth plan, which focuses on expanding technical depth and national reach. As part of this latest acquisition, Jim Lord and Adolfo Silva become BPA shareholders. All employees from Ecovert and EcovertCx will continue their work within BPA. This marks BPA's seventh acquisition in the past two years. ABOUT BPA BPA is an engineering firm specializing in buildings for the institutional, commercial, multi-residential, and industrial markets. Employees across Canada provide expertise in mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering, sustainable development, energy efficiency, building science, telecommunications, security, building automation, acoustics and noise control, food services, refrigeration, and commissioning. To learn more about BPA, visit ABOUT ECOVERT Ecovert is a full-service sustainability consulting firm committed to creating economic, environmental and social synergies for the building development sector. They help architects, builders, developers and property owners reap the rewards of sustainable building design, construction and operation. They are dedicated to providing clients a practical and effective roadmap to guide them toward their sustainable development goals. To learn more about Ecovert, visit EcovertCx is a completely independent commissioning firm servicing Kitchener-Waterloo, the GTA, Ottawa, Windsor, the Niagara Escarpment, and all points between. They specialize in high performance building systems' controls—from lighting and boiler standalone controls, to RTU controls and integrated systems. To learn more about EcovertCx, visit
