Buy, build or lease: Waterloo-area industrial ‘hot’

RENX  Commercial  •  Industrial  •  Toronto / GTA

The industrial real estate market in Waterloo Region and Guelph was briefly put on hold by COVID-19, but it’s once again as hot as it was before the pandemic.

ML Devco, main + main plan three Ottawa towers

Residential  •  Ottawa Business Journal

ML Devco and main + main have proposed a trio of residential high-rises over an entire block on the western edge of Vanier, overlooking the Rideau River. The proposal includes 1,003 rental units in towers of 22, 28 and 32 storeys atop a two-floor podium.

Shindico’s retail project approaches finish line

Commercial  •  Winnipeg Free Press  •  RENX

Nearly a decade ago, Shindico Realty began planning Shops of Kildonan Mile – a major Winnipeg hub of retail and business activity centred on big-box stores and using the nearby Kildonan Place mall and Crossroads shopping centre as “shadow anchors.”

Daniels builds fossil fuel-free Field House in T.O.

Residential  •  Sustainable Biz Canada

A $21-million, fossil fuel-free community is being built in downtown Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood as part of a sustainable launch by Daniels Corporation. The community features 24 three-storey, three-bedroom townhomes with all-electric building systems.

Conservatory Group proposes 32-storey condo tower

Residential  •  Urban Toronto

A Conservatory Group-proposed condominium tower, designed by Richmond Architects, would rise 32 storeys plus a mechanical penthouse level at 2540 Gerrard St. E., just east of Victoria Park Avenue within the largely disused Runneymede Quarry Lands.

Man. city hopes to spur growth with trendy project

Residential, Commercial  •  Winnipeg Free Press  •  CTV

Last summer, Selkirk, Man., acquired 326 acres of undeveloped land within its urban limits for about $3.2 million. A new conceptual for the West End project proposes high-density housing, 90 acres of park and greenspace, and 200,000 square feet of retail outlets.

The People Space › People Space: Announcements from H&R, Colliers, Slate…

Don Wilcox: Managing Editor

Tridel’s Angelo DelZotto dead at 89

Residential  •  Daily Commercial News  •  RENX

Tridel‘s Angelo DelZotto is being remembered as a man of deep humility and integrity who spearheaded the expansion of the family empire and put together landmark deals that helped create today’s modern city. DelZotto died July 31 at 89.

Record lumber prices add thousands to home costs

Residential  •  CBC  •  Globe and Mail (Sub. required)

Soaring lumber and wood panel prices are adding thousands to the cost of building a home in Canada as strong renovation and new housing demand outstrip supply. Spruce, pine, fir two-by-four boards are a record $760 US per thousand board feet.

Industrial demand remains strong in Windsor-Essex

Commercial  •  Windsor Star

Windsor, London, Ottawa and Halifax were the only four communities in Canada to see the percentage of available industrial space decline in the second quarter. Availability in Windsor dropped by a nation-leading 21 basis points, according to CBRE Ltd.

New prototype unveiled for Days Inn

Commercial  •  Globe Newswire

Days Inns Canada announced the release of its G3 prototype, giving franchisees an economical and contemporary road map for new construction. The designed-in-Canada blueprint features flexible layouts that integrate guest comfort and innovation; and profitability for owners, developers and investors.

Who should pay for shift to online groceries?

Commercial  •  Toronto Star  •  Financial Post

Shopping for groceries online skyrocketed during the pandemic, accelerating a shift already underway for most major Canadian grocers. However, it comes at a steep cost — and a fierce battle is brewing over who’s going to pay for it.

H&R and CT REIT are great buys today

Commercial  •  Motley Fool

Having recently reduced its distribution, H&R REIT (HR-UN-T) sports a bountiful, but relatively modest 6.7 per cent yield. CT REIT (CRT-UN-T) is a retail and warehouse-focused play that’s done an outstanding job of holding its own amid COVID-19.

Demand strong for Hudson Yards office tower

Commercial  •  Bloomberg

In the midst of a pandemic, a conglomerate of investment banks is marketing a $1.5 billion commercial mortgage-backed security backed by a new trophy high-rise tower, One Manhattan West, part of the Hudson Yards redevelopment.

U.S. CRE starts down 44 per cent YOY

Commercial  •  Daily Commercial News  •  World Property Journal

The volume of U.S. commercial real estate starts in July fell a jaw-dropping 44 per cent year-over-year. The $28.6 billion total was also down 23.1 per cent versus June’s figure of $37.2 billion.

U.S. retail sales slow in July

Commercial  •  Reuters

U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in July as consumers cut back on purchases of motor vehicles, and could slow further in the months ahead amid spiralling new COVID-19 infections and a reduction in unemployment benefit cheques.

Mortgage insurers cool to extending payment deferrals

Residential  •  Financial Post

Homeowners counting on mortgage payments being deferred beyond the six-month break they have received during the pandemic might want to reconsider, as home-loan insurers that have permitted postponements appear cool toward extending the holiday.

Property managers seek pandemic regulations

Residential  •  Globe and Mail  •  Financial Post

Strata councils and property managers are asking for special regulations to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks, a policy on masks and safety procedures after parties at two B.C. condo buildings over the past three weeks resulted in numbers of new infections.

B.C. rent hike is frozen, but landlords can evict

Residential  •  CBC  •  CTV  •  Western Investor

A payment plan has been set out for B.C. renters as a government moratorium on evictions ends Sept. 1. Renters in arrears between March 18 and Aug. 17 will have until at least next July to pay back the money owed to landlords.

House hunting has forever changed

Residential  •  Globe and Mail

Medical waivers. Masks. Virtual showings. Seven-figure purchases, sight unseen. Home buying and selling has seen a head-snapping shift during the COVID-19 era, as both parties deal with the demands of physical distancing, virtual showings and previously unheard-of safety considerations.