NAIOP awards Merritt 7 Corp. Park with Green Building of the Year

Merritt 7 Corporate Park has been awarded the Green Building of the Year award by the Westchester/Fairfield County chapter of NAIOP. Merritt 7 was recognized by the real estate community which nominated and voted the office complex for its achievements in becoming a leader in Green Building advancement in the region (a new category for this year's event). The awards were presented at NAIOP's 2008 Annual Real Estate Awards Ceremony at the Winged Foot Golf Club. The event was hosted by Frank Kenny, CEO of Willett Companies. More than 100 members of the community gathered at the event. Award presentations were made at the ceremony for the following categories: Fairfield County Lease of the Year; Westchester County Lease of the Year; Westchester/Fairfield County Development of the Year; Real Estate Achievement Award; Developing Young Leader Award; Green Building Award; and Westchester/Fairfield County Investment Sale of the Year. Through a collaborative effort between managing and leasing agent Albert D. Phelps, Inc. and ING Clarion Partners, an investment advisor to the property owner, efforts, Merritt 7 has made a commitment toward environmental stewardship and taken actions over a several year period to make the complex more energy efficient. "We are thrilled to be recognized with one of NAIOP's most prestigious awards," said JoAnn Brennan-McGrath, director of leasing for Merritt 7. We've worked hard to bring sustainable building practices into the mainstream and we have striven to be environmentally conscience, and to promote and maximize sustainability." Merritt 7 has been recognized for its conservation efforts, including receiving the Southwest Connecticut Summer Energy Savers Award; achieving as one of the top 25 properties on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership list. Merritt 7 was awarded the 2007 Office Building of the Year by the Southern Conn. chapter of BOMA. All of Merritt 7's six buildings are registered with the USGBC for LEED-EB Certification. Merritt 7 Corporate Park is owned by Merritt 7 Venture LLC, a joint venture between New York State Teachers' Retirement System and Fairfield Investors, Inc. ING Clarion Partners, LLC, a leading U.S. real estate investment manager, is an investment advisor to NYSTRS. About ING Clarion Founded in 1982, ING Clarion and its affiliates manage almost $50 billion in assets in the private equity, public equity, and public debt sectors of 2the real estate markets. The ING Clarion organization has almost 500 employees located in major markets throughout the United States. The firm is the U.S. investment management arm of ING Real Estate, a global real estate company, active in real estate investment management, development and finance. With a total business portfolio of almost $160 billion and in 21 countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Asia and Australia, ING Real Estate ranks among the world's strongest real estate companies. ING Real Estate is part of ING Group, a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. More information about the firm is available at www.ingclarion.com. About Merritt 7 Merritt 7 Corporate Park is one of the most widely recognized office complexes in Fairfield County. It offers a premier location with direct access to the Merritt Parkway at exit 40B and the Route 7 Connector to I-95. The campus-like setting features exceptional values and efficiency through a dedicated on-site management team. The property offers tenants technologically advanced infrastructure, an on-site transportation hub, including train station, two shuttle services and bus depot, ample parking and an amenity package that includes a fitness center, state of the art conference center, two full-service cafeterias, sundry shop, car rental, ATM concierge service, dry cleaner and car detailing. For more information, visit www.merritt7.com.