Wednesday, March 19, 2025
A milestone achievement was celebrated with a special grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony held yesterday at a commercial energy-efficient retrofit facility in Kingston, Ont., attended by elected officials, industry partners, key stakeholders, and members of the community.
“Investing in Kingston and the transformation of 945 Princess Street aligns with Modern Niagara’s mission to lead the charge in sustainable innovation. Kingston’s rich history and growing role as a technology hub made it the perfect location for this project,” said Brad McAninch, CEO and president of Construction for Modern Niagara. “We are excited to be part of a community that values environmental stewardship and forward-thinking development. This facility will not only drive economic growth but also set new standards for energy efficiency and carbon reduction in commercial buildings,”
The purpose-built 230,000-square-foot facility has undergone almost $70 million in renovations and decarbonization efforts, transforming it into a premier sustainable innovation hub. This full-scale dynamic space is designed to accelerate innovation and collaboration for leading companies across diverse sectors. Key features include wet labs, shared analytical equipment, piloting bays, pre-manufacturing space, an on-site machine shop, access to co-working space, and a community event space.
“I’m thrilled to see 945 Princess Street reopen after massive renovations and decarbonization efforts. This incredible space will serve as Kingston’s new innovation hub. Sustainability and innovation have been integrated into all aspects of its design from the construction to the building’s tenants and its operations,”said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson.
“As a City, we are committed to environmental leadership and are uniquely positioned to advance forward-thinking innovations. This space will help us achieve our goals and I’m excited to see the businesses, technologies, and collaborations that will come out of this purpose-built space in the years to come,”
Modern Niagara’s energy-efficient upgrades to the building are expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 per cent or approximately 2,000 tonnes annually, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon status. Through its Building Retrofits Initiative, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) committed $25 million in funding towards the building retrofit.
“Today we celebrate the opening of 945 Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario. The project was completed using a loan from our Building Retrofits Initiative. The modern, sustainable innovation centre will see carbon emissions reduced by more than 80 per cent and will attract jobs and prominent tenants to the community for years to come,” added Ehren Cory, CEO of CIB.
As a leader in sustainable building solutions, Modern Niagara’s transformation of 945 Princess Street exemplifies their commitment to advancing innovative development while reducing environmental impact. It is one of Canada’s largest national mechanical, electrical, building services, and integrated building technology contractors that delivers to its clients a broad spectrum of service offerings for existing buildings as well as new construction.
Featured image: The newly transformed 945 Princess Street facility, a state-of-the-art hub for innovation and sustainability in Kingston, Ont. (CNW Group/Modern Niagara Group Inc.)
