Chicago— 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, through the The Center for Active Design (CfAD). The Fitwel Certification System is a global health certification that optimizes buildings to support occupant health.
theMart, owned and managed by Vornado Realty Trust, is over four 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, according to the company, theMart also represents the first certification achieved under Fitwel’s Multi-Tenant Whole Building Scorecard for workplaces. The building now includes strengthened operational and design features that support a healthy environment for its hundreds of tenants, according to the company.
“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.
The CfAD said it 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 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 located in the highly walkable and transit friendly downtown business district in Chicago and also overlooks the Chicago Riverfront, a nine-block public amenity. 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.
