Why Nicola Institutional Realty Advisors is building the GTA’s largest zero-carbon certified campus

Many of yesterday’s industrial parks are no longer designed and equipped to meet the needs and wants of businesses today and tomorrow. The same could be said for most industrial projects that are being developed right now.

For Canada’s industrial inventory and the businesses that use that space, that’s just not going to cut it.

The team behind KingJane Business Park in King City, Ont., is working on an immense industrial development featuring next-generation design technology for the growing number of tenants and users that must have scale, convenient access, top-shelf amenities, flexibility and a certified zero-carbon footprint.

KingJane Business Park is the largest carbon zero certified industrial development underway in the GTA. The campus, located at the crossroads of King Road and Jane Street, with direct access to the Hwy 400 interchange, will soon offer five state-of-the-art industrial buildings ranging from 124,000 square feet to 560,660 square feet. Construction has begun, with foundations currently underway. The first phase of the 1.7 million-square-foot campus is set to open to occupiers in early 2026.

Zero-carbon is becoming a corporate must

“We’re not only looking at the initial lease-up of that site, but what the future tenants will need as well,” said Nick Stryland, vice-president, asset management, Nicola Institutional Realty Advisors (NIRA), which is developing the property for Nicola Wealth Real Estate and two large institutional clients.

“Zero-carbon certification is central to future-proofing industrial assets,” he said. “We’re providing buildings that align with companies’ ESG goals, and our own sustainability programs, which are increasingly evolving from net zero carbon-ready to certified.”

To achieve net-zero certification, KingJane has several elements that eliminate the use of gas and reduce energy consumption, said Minesh Dave, vice-president, development at NIRA. “One of the key elements is the building envelope.”

That includes using thicker insulated metal paneling, higher insulation value for the roofing and insulated dock doors. The power system will use no gas, instead relying on electricity supplemented by heat pumps and solar power.

Market demand is pushing for zero-carbon

Five years is just around the corner, and 42 per cent of Fortune 500 companies have a target to achieve net zero by then, said Colin Alves, vice-chairman with Colliers, the firm leading the leasing and marketing of KingJane.

Specifically, Apple, Toyota, Nestlé, Unilever, Ikea, Maersk and Colliers all have pledges to achieve net-zero carbon by 2030. In Canada, 50-75 per cent of Fortune Global 500 companies have net-zero mandates by 2050, according to Colliers’ data. “The list of occupants that are going to be seeking these types of facilities is going to grow exponentially,” Alves said.

Employee experience needs to be elevated in an industrial setting

The experience of tenants and workers in Canada’s industrial buildings must be elevated, according to Stryland. “Industrial workspaces have been behind what office workers expect from their environments, and employee attraction and retention is more of a priority now in the industrial sector.”

At KingJane, that will mean attractive and comfortable amenity spaces outside, and natural light and fresh air inside. “We’re basically enhancing everything that we can to ensure that when you show up to work, that facility will give you the best possible experience for your entire shift,” Dave said.

“Centre-ice” location provides logistics opportunities

The KingJane location to the north in King City has become centre ice for logistics companies that need to move products in and out of the region smoothly.

“When this site became available, it ticked all the boxes,” Stryland said. “It has amazing access to Highway 400, and that means connections to labour and other distribution corridors. More than 1.9 million workers live within a 30-minute commute of the KingJane site.”

Stryland said KingJane, with its expansive footprints, 40-foot clear heights, large staging bay and generous truck access, will help companies unite all of their operations under one roof. Manufacturing companies will also fit in well at KingJane due to the facility’s broad column spacing and floor load capacity, said Dave.

Alves adds that Toronto is North America’s largest food and beverage production market outside of Los Angeles and the team expects demand from companies in that sector.

How NIRA is getting this done

Collaboration and synchronization are keys to getting a project like this done, in the right way, said Dave. “Together, we must continually ask ourselves what is possible, and then figure out together how to get it done.”

The industrial market isn’t going to wait around as other developers search for the answers to those questions.

To learn more about KingJane Business Park, click here.