Sustainable

An industrial space that delivers high-efficiency features and big tenant appeal.

A new warehouse under construction in Burnside Business Park, in Dartmouth, N.S., is redefining what industrial space can offer, combining a prime location with sustainability features that help tenants lower their environmental impact, improve energy performance, and support their ESG goals.

“This was one of the quicker projects we’ve ever moved on,” says Steve Morrison, Senior Advisor at Brunswick Brokers, Commercial Properties’ sales and leasing company, who is representing the rental listing. “It was a prime corner lot with easy access. We saw it as a piece that was enticing and wanted to do something proper with it.”

That “something proper” is a state-of-the-art, 33,000-square-foot precast warehouse designed to meet the Zero Carbon Building Standard from the Canada Green Building Council, a first for Commercial Properties. Construction began in spring 2025, with occupancy expected by year’s end.

“The decision to go with carbon-neutral was made early on,” says Carl Blanchard, a longtime OSCO Construction Group executive who came out of retirement to help oversee the project for Commercial Properties. “There’s a solar array on the roof, in-floor heating, and other features to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.”

The solar photovoltaic system is designed to power the building’s heating and supplement general electrical use, reducing reliance on the grid and supporting more stable operating costs for tenants. The building also uses Strescon’s precast wall panels, engineered with enhanced insulation and reduced thermal bridging for improved energy performance.

For Karine Petrosyan, CPL’s new Director of Engineering and Development, the project represents a forward-looking shift. “There’s definitely a big demand for buildings that are more conscious and climate-focused,” she says. “This project is part of that switch in how we use the space, how we design, how we manage.” As sustainability becomes a bigger part of how businesses operate, the demand for buildings like this is expected to grow.

“We’re seeing more tenants who want good data about their environmental impact,” Steve adds. “The building’s sustainability features aren’t just about doing the right thing; they’re becoming a real market advantage.”

OSCO Team-Member Contributions to Cutler Avenue Development

Read more about our next level construction projects in our newsmagazine Connections: Fall 2025.