“The ESG aspect of the program is great. The tenant engagement aspect is seamless. It’s cost-effective. It’s a homerun.”
– Christopher Gildea, Senior General Manager, JLL
The mission
Owned by BGO and managed by JLL, 757 Third Avenue is a prestigious Class A office building in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
Like most office buildings, supporting a smooth return-to-office for tenants is a primary focus for the 757 Third Avenue team. They aim to offer best-in-class amenities that help them stand out and give their tenants a best-in-class experience.
BGO also places a strong focus on ESG and sustainability. When assessing new amenities for the building, Senior General Manager Christopher Gildea wanted something that would align with BGO’s ESG strategy while appealing to both investors and tenants.
“One of BGO’s top priorities is being able to report on sustainability and ESG. So finding a solution that was attractive to tenants but also aligned with BGO’s priorities was imperative.”
– Christopher Gildea, Senior General Manager, JLL
The solution
The property team worked with Alvéole to implement a solution that answered their tenant experience and sustainability needs. They welcomed a honey bee hive and two wild bee habitats on site, nestled within their rooftop garden.
Throughout the year, tenants get involved with workshops and beekeeper visits, but also with an online engagement platform where they can follow updates about the bees.
It’s a win for BGO’s ESG team too. The highly visible and tangible bee habitats bring more attention to BGO’s overall sustainability strategy. Photos, stories, and environmental data from the program serve to enrich their ESG reports.
“This solution outweighs the cost a thousandfold. It’s one of my favorite amenities at the building. We put a lot of effort into improving tenant experience and upgrading our common areas, but the bees are always the first thing that comes to mind. Our tenants love it.”
– Christopher Gildea, Senior General Manager, JLL
The results
TENANT EXPERIENCE
Maximizing the tenant experience is top of mind for the 757 Third Avenue team. It plays a key role in both tenant attraction and retention, making it critical for the program’s ROI.
In workshops, tenants can meet their beekeeper, take part in a hive inspection, and even make their own beeswax candles. It’s been an effective way to bring people together and make a positive impact on the sense of community within the building.
Gifts of honey from the rooftop hive are a huge hit with tenants. It’s a memorable way for the 757 Third Avenue team to show their appreciation and impress prospective tenants.
“From the quality of the honey, to how it’s packaged, it’s just an awesome thing to be able to give out to our tenants. Everyone loves to receive swag and it doesn’t get more personalized than honey from our own rooftop hive.”
– Christopher Gildea, Senior General Manager, JLL
ESG REPORTING
BGO proudly positions themselves as leaders in ESG. Adopting sustainability initiatives and reporting on the impact of these initiatives is a priority.
Engagement data (eg: how many people the program reached) as well as environmental data (eg: the diversity of cocoons laid in the wild bee habitats) collected by Alvéole is used to enhance BGO’s ESG and sustainability reports.
AWARD WINS
757 Third Avenue took home the Earth Building of the Year award at the 2024 New York City BOMA Pinnacle Awards. This award celebrates outstanding commitment to environmental sustainability and ESG practices.
“All of our initiatives contributed to our win. In our application, we made sure to highlight the things that differentiate us from other buildings such as the initiative with Alvéole. It’s a competitive process, but the bees helped us stand out.”
– Christopher Gildea, Senior General Manager, JLL
