M&T Bank signs 39,000 s/f office lease at Winthrop Center

Boston, MA According to developer Millennium Partners, M&T Bank, one of the nation’s largest banks with over $200 billion in assets, has signed a lease for 39,000 s/f of office space at Winthrop Center, a 691-foot mixed-use tower in the city. The energy-efficient office space at Winthrop Center was certified by Passive House Institute as the largest Passive House office building in the world. M&T Bank operates more than 260 full-service branches and employs nearly 2,000 people throughout the New England region. The company is expected to move in this fall.

A cornerstone in downtown, Winthrop Center features 812,000 s/f of office space built to Passive House standards, modeling the most energy efficient solution for large scale buildings. Passive House is a performance-based standard that results in dramatic energy savings and creates a healthy indoor environment for employees.

Reimagining the workplace with an environmentally significant building that delivers flexible, amenity-rich work environments, developer Millenium Partners collaborated with a group of MIT professors led by the director of MIT’s environmental solutions initiative, John Fernandez, to create a holistic design strategy for Winthrop Center that addresses health and wellness, boosts occupant happiness and productivity, and betters the environment.

“At M&T Bank, we are committed to providing the very best workplace for our employees with access to first-rate amenities and the latest in cutting-edge office technologies,” said Grace Lee, Mass. regional president for M&T. “Winthrop Center not only provides us with world-class office space but also leads the country in environmental sustainability, a mission that we believe in and support. We are excited to join this forward-thinking building and are thrilled to be located at the center of Boston’s re-emerging and vibrant Financial District.”

“We are thrilled to welcome M&T Bank as we grow and establish an ecosystem of innovative companies at Winthrop Center,” said Joe Larkin, principal, MP Boston, the local arm of developer Millennium Partners.

In addition to delivering the health and wellness benefits inherent in Passive House design, such as better managed and higher quality air, Winthrop Center encourages appreciation of Boston arts and culture and enhances social wellness with a dynamic, multi-floor, public gathering space called The Connector. Inherently civic in scale and function, The Connector is designed to educate, entertain, and engage the public throughout all seasons, contributing to the revitalization of Downtown Boston while advancing social and cultural engagement for the Winthrop Center office workers and residents.

In addition to The Connector, Winthrop Center boosts The Collective, a 25,000-square-foot common area where office workers and their guests can stay fit and engaged with other members of the community through a world-class fitness center and top-tier amenities. The Collective includes co-working spaces, food and beverage service, and 5,000 square feet of fitness equipment and programming – including a sports simulator, body analytics room, recovery room with massage and physical therapy, and a climbing wall which was developed as part of Winthrop Center’s innovative FLX offering, a new gold standard for integrating holistic fitness and wellness into the daily lives of residents and office workers.

Cushman & Wakefield’s George O’Connor and Thomas Ashe represented M&T Bank in the transaction. Millennium Partners was represented by CBRE.

“M&T Bank’s new office location at Winthrop Center offers an array of best-in-class amenities, which serves as a testament to their commitment to providing an exceptional work environment for their employees, from both a sustainability and healthy lifestyle perspective,” said O’Connor.

“After an extensive search, this highly accessible location in Downtown Boston proved to be the best option for M&T Bank’s current and future needs,” added Ashe. “We look forward to supporting M&T Bank as they embark on this exciting new chapter.”

M&T Bank will join the esteemed company of Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, ECG Management Consultants, Income Research and Management, Arthur J. Gallagher and Cambridge Associates, which have all signed leases at Winthrop Center, illustrating the growing emphasis that companies are placing on sustainable workplaces that prioritize employees’ health and wellbeing.