Toronto condo market slowdown? Not at these projects

The news cycle is replete with stories about the Greater Toronto Area’s housing market being into the doldrums, but upon closer inspection a voracious appetite for well-located developments still exists.

Were Ont. developers tipped off over Greenbelt changes?

Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark would not say whether he tipped off developers before announcing plans to break previous promises and allow housing on parts of the province’s protected Greenbelt – expected to increase the properties' value.

Offices replace personal desk space with meeting space

Pre-pandemic, the average space per employee for an office building worker was 200 square feet per employee. That figure is now being cut in half in favour of meeting and collaboration space, according to Adrian Berry, a principal at Stantec.

New wave of proptech tools reshaping CRE

Proptech is already a growing force in commercial real estate, and now Toronto tech firm MapYourProperty is making it easier for developers to determine where to locate their projects even before they assemble the land.

Developers turn to pop-ups to germinate street life

Concord Adex's Isaac Chan has spent much of 2022 experimenting to create a walkable high street by temporarily hosting a variety of retailers, cafés and community installations in a pop-up store location in one of Concord Park Place's Toronto buildings.

20-storey mixed-use proposed in Scarborough

Bridlegrove Bible Chapel has proposed a new church structure along with a 20-storey residential tower atop a five-storey podium at 2575 Pharmacy Ave. in Scarborough. The Bessant Pelech Associates/Architectural Design Inc. tower would include 244 residential units.

RBC deal for HSBC Canada faces major hurdles

RBC's (RY-T) $13.5-billion cash deal for HSBC Bank Canada must survive reviews from the Competition Bureau of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and the federal Minister of Finance before the transaction can be completed.

Investors shouldn’t shy away from Couche-Tard

Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD-T) shares have been strong performers this year, delivering impressive gains even as benchmark indexes struggle. There is a compelling case for sticking with this winner. The Laval-based company operates more than 14,000 convenience stores in 24 countries.

CT REIT boasts of a balanced growth

Currently, a popular choice among real estate investors is CT REIT (CRT-UN-T). At $15.60 per share, the dividend yield is a generous 5.64%. A $42,566.80 investment (2,728 shares) will generate $200 in monthly passive income.

A clay quarry's journey to urban green haven

Today, FortWhyte Alive in Winnipeg is a green space spanning 660 acres, housing multiple buildings and carrying out educational and environmental programs. Yet the area began as a clay quarry for the Canada Cement Company – now Lafarge Inc.

REIT/REOC third-quarter financial results

Nova Net Lease REIT, (NNL-U-CN), Canada Newswire

Trez Capital, (TRZ100.CF), Canada Newswire

Centerbridge, GIC bid $662M for industrial REIT

Centerbridge Partners and GIC Real Estate have made a bid for industrial property owner Indus Realty Trust, offering $65 per share for the New York-based REIT, which would value the company at $662.5 million US.

Hyatt to acquire Dream Hotel Group for $300M

Hyatt Hotels Corp. inked a deal to acquire Dream Hotel Group, a lifestyle hotel specialist, for an initial payment of $125 million, adding about 1,700 rooms to the hotelier's portfolio.

U.S. office sector braces for new challenges

Economic headwinds, coupled with consecutive interest rate increases, the further adoption of work-from-home and remote office arrangements, and growing office footprint reductions contributed to an increase in vacancy rates throughout the year in the U.S., according to CommercialEdge's office report.

RBI to open Burger King, Popeyes in Eastern Europe

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (QSR-T) says McWin’s newly launched Rex Concepts CEE platform has acquired master franchise and development rights to expand Burger King in Czech Republic, Poland and Romania and to introduce Popeyes to Czech Republic and Poland.

Real estate industry braces for foreign buyer ban

Canadian real estate mavens are brushing up on the temporary foreign buyers’ ban, which is set to come into effect on Jan. 1. Lawyer John Zinati warns that fines of up to $10,000 may be coming.

Montreal hikes residential taxes 4.1%, highest since 2010

Valerie Plante's administration at the City of Montreal released its 2023 budget Tuesday and it includes the largest tax increase since 2010. Residential property taxes will go up an average of 4.1 per cent in 2023. 

OHBA calls for audit of how cities are spending dev. fees

The Ontario Home Builder’s Association (OHBA) is calling on the Government of Ontario to audit municipalities’ collection and use of development-related fees, expressing concerns about a lack of transparency and accountability. 

N.B. landlords, developers having big year despite rent cap

New Brunswick landlords including Killam Apartment REIT  (KMP-UN-T) have generated rent increases well above national averages this year despite the province's hard cap on rent hikes. That undermines one of the two key arguments being used for dismantling the policy.