Ghassan Wehbe

TOWNSHIP OF LANGLEY DEVELOPMENT NEWS The vision of Willoughby’s 200 Street 2040 Corridor Plan was presented to Mayor and council at today’s council meeting but decisions were deferred to September to provide more time to review the documents. There’s a lot of density in this new plan and the implications are big. Skip to page 9 and 10 to see the proposed densities and building heights. EDIT: the Community Amenity Contributions in the proposed plan are quite civilized, closely following the Township’s existing CAC policy. Each density category in the new plan is given both a base density and a maximum density to which the Township’s current CAC rates will be applied. The bonus density CAC is charged on density above the plan’s base density.

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Toronto's ambitious plan to construct 1.5 million new homes by 2031 is facing obstacles. Developers are hitting pause on projects due to rising costs, changing buyer preferences, and the impact of higher interest rates. Builders are rethinking their plans, and this sentiment is reflected in the industry. The cost of materials and labor is increasing, making construction more expensive. In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the cost of building has surged significantly. These challenges are compounded by fees for building permits and taxes. Builders are advocating for more reasonable costs to foster growth and encourage new projects. Solving the housing issue requires a multi-faceted approach. It's not just about finances; finding skilled labor, ensuring affordability, and simplifying approval processes are key components. Building 1.5 million new homes demands a well-rounded strategy that addresses these concerns.

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A change is coming to the 2024 Ontario Building Code that will affect office spaces with convenience stair arrangements. The current OBC allows for an opening between floors limited to not more than 10m2 in area, but this will be removed in the new code. An opening for an escalator and moving walkways will remain, but at least one level of a stair will need to be fire separated or an alternative solution submitted. #OntarioBuildingCode #BuildingCodeChanges #OfficeSpaces #FireSafety Vortex Fire

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Single exit stair: Great to see the City of Toronto taking such a proactive approach to delivering housing. On Thursday the proposal to develop an alternative solution approach for four storey single exit buildings goes for consideration by the Planning and Housing Committee. One is the recommendations: City Council request that the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building develop a public-facing guideline for building permit applicants to access the "Single Exit Stair: Ontario Building Code Feasibility Study" to assist in the preparation of alternative solution proposals under the Ontario Building Code where a single means of egress is proposed. https://lnkd.in/gr3tqS-Q

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Work, work, work, work, work... knocking it out on site in St. Catharines! #forming #rebar #concrete #stcatharines #realestate #stackedtowns #construction #constructionmanagement

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Builders and Developers: Driving Sustainable Solutions for Affordable Housing Builders and developers are vital actors in reshaping Canada's housing landscape. By embracing sustainable building practices, such as energy-efficient design and the use of eco-friendly materials, they can significantly contribute to the creation of cost-effective and accessible housing solutions. Collaborating with government entities and non-profit organizations through public-private partnerships can further leverage resources and expertise to implement sustainable housing projects. Together, we can build a future where affordable housing is not just a dream but a reality for all Canadians. #SustainableBuilding #PublicPrivatePartnerships #AffordableHousing

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In Novae Res Urbis's July 3rd issue, Assembly's Leith Moore speaks to our continued advocacy to support single-stair egresses in the Ontario Building Code. Missing middle housing, particularly purpose-built rental, is crucial in creating and fostering more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive neighbourhoods for all Torontonians. Provincial and independent housing studies have identified this form of housing as a critical factor in solving our housing shortage within the city, province, and country at large. For a litany of reasons, mid-rise developments have often proved difficult to make financially feasible. In recent years, this has been exacerbated by increased labour, material, and land costs. Using single-star egress in mid-rise building designs increases the rentable area, providing more urgently needed housing units and improving the building's cost efficiency. Doing so would amplify the feasibility of mid-rise infill development and contribute immensely to the addition of gentle density in urban Toronto. Toronto's Planning and Housing Committee, Chaired by Councillor Gord Perks and Vice-Chaired by Councillor Brad Bradford, is currently looking at ways to speed up the alternate solution application for a single-stair egress for four-storey buildings and recommending the harmonization of Ontario Building Code to the National Building Code 2025 (which allows for a single-stair egress up to 6-storeys). This is a critical first step in evolving policy to support innovation in the design and construction. Posted with permission of the publisher of NRU Publishing Inc. Original article first appeared in Novae Res Urbis GTHA, Vol. 27, No. 27, Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

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35- and 39-Storey Towers Proposed Near Glencairn Station A new application from Osmington Gerofsky Development Corp would introduce 35- and 39-storey towers to a block currently developed with low-rise buildings. Designed by Wallman Architects, the dual towers in #Toronto's Glen Park neighbourhood respond to the designation of the area surrounding the subway station as a Major Transit Station Area within which the Province is enabling and encouraging higher densities. This proposal features a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 58,739m², for a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 10.41 on the site. The towers would rise from a six-storey podium that transitions to an eight-storey volume between the towers. Source: https://ow.ly/F6z350SBiEU #BASTET #CANADA #BRITISHCOLUMBIA #ONTARIO #TORONTO #OTTAWA #LONDON #GTA #MANITOBA #ALBERTA #HAMILTON #QUEBEC #NIAGARA #VANCOUVER #CALGARY #RICHMOND #BURNABY #SCARBOROUGH #SURREY #BRAMPTON #COQUITLAM #TORONTO #MISSISSAUGA #ACBIM #ADABIM #ACPBIM #COORDINATION #VALUEENGINEERING #PEERREVIEW #CONSTRUCTIONPLANNING #PROJECTMANAGMENT #REALESTATE #DEVELOPMENT #CONSTRUCTION #DESIGN #RISK #PROJECTS

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There has been quite a bit of discussion on construction escalation, below are our current projections for ICI & High Rise Residential in the GTA. ICI is a blend, industrial would be lower than Institutional. This is an average, there would be individual projects that would differ from this depending on composition and so forth. There is the potential for escalation to drop further on the residential side depending on the recovery (or lack of one). Sales are expected to be awful this year; the rental market when / if it accelerates will drive late 2024 and early 2025. This is the best opportunity to tender / build residential since 2016 and could be the last one for a similar period  Big question do high-rise sales come back end of this year or next year? If you have a rental project I would consider accelerating the construction and tendering into the next 18 months or so. While I am leaving Altus Colin Macdonald, MRICS, PQS will be happy to help going forward on escalation or construction related questions.

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Discover the future of building with CREE Buildings. 🌿🏗️ Dive into our captivating image brochure to uncover the secrets behind our timber-hybrid approach, innovative processes, and meaningful benefits for all stakeholders. Explore why we chose timber-hybrid, the principles of our system, ESG criteria, and new business opportunities within the CREE Network. #creebuildings #greenbuildings #futureofbuilding #sustainability

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It will be a solution for the housing crisis and for employment in the sector

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From salt storage to a state-of-the-art operations centre - dive into the behind-the-scenes journey of modular construction project for the City of Vaughan. Discover the speed, efficiency, and solution that made it all possible. Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/e2ueNT8M #CityofVaughan #ModularConstruction #LetsTalkModular #NRBModularSolutions

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It is a great article to share with middle-aged and senior Canadians. Let them know that a small apartment with a modern design for the elderly is a comfortable and safe place for their elderly time. //Falls among older adults are a public health concern worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, about a third of older adults fall each year. The percentage ranges from 32% to 42% for those 70 years or older. In Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and injury deaths among people aged 65 or older. Injuries from falls reduce older adults’ quality of life, increase caregiver demands, and precipitate admissions into long-term care. The cost of treating fall-related injuries is high. As the baby boom cohort ages, by 2040 older adults are projected to make up close to one-fourth of Canada’s population. The pace of growth of the group aged 85 or older is expected to be particularly steep. // -captured from Surveillance report on falls among older adults in Canada

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💡 Everything you need to know about #ElectricalPlanning for #Stratas and #MultiUnitResidential Buildings. ⚡   FRESCo was pleased to support BC Housing, in partnership with CHOA, to author - Electrical Planning for Multi-Residential Buildings.   Strata corporations can use this report to help navigate the complexities of #electricalplanning. The surge of requests for #EV charging stations and increasing demand for #heat pumps and the #electricalplanningreport amendments to the #StrataPropertyAct makes this guide timely.   The comprehensive checklist empowers strata corporations with a roadmap to efficiently plan and execute building upgrades, ensuring a more seamless integration with the existing #ElectricalCapacity and systems.   📢 Kudos to the CHOA, FRESCo and BC Housing collaboration for crafting this valuable guide to electrical planning in #MURBs. https://lnkd.in/eta_EDgN

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CONCERNS WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT BOARD AMENDMENT BILL. Recently, the Department of Public Works published a proposed amendment stating that the Professional Consultant industry, under the CBE, is proposed to register with the CIBC for all public and private sector projects.    I wrote a piece to the Minister and his appointed representatives, raising my concerns about the proposed Draft Construction Industry Development Board Amendment Bill Amendment (Notice 2448 of 2024) based on the impact and consequences of implementation. The proposed amendment is particularly significant as it involves a shift from the principle of Best Practice to Standards. This shift effectively removes the principle of Practice and introduces standards the State regulates. It's crucial to note that Best Practice is a cornerstone of the Professional Consultant industry, and any deviation from it could have far-reaching implications. It's important to understand the distinction between Best Practice and Standards. Best practices are widely accepted actions, processes, techniques, or technologies that help businesses meet a particular standard. On the other hand, a standard is an established norm or requirement in a specific area of business. The proposed amendment would effectively replace the industry's reliance on Best Practices with State-regulated Standards. The concept is that the wheel does not have to be re-created, and that you can benefit from the work of others instead of trying to figure out how to meet an industry standard on your own. Someone has already tried and figured out how to best do what is required to be done in the most efficient way possible; others have improved this, and through these learned lessons, it has become a best practice. By adopting these best practices, contractors/service providers can save time and money. Regulation is just a type of standard. However, instead of recommendations, it is a requirement for many contractors/service providers. Complying with regulations can be achieved through established best practices. Just like there are best practices for industries and business initiatives, there are best practices for achieving compliance with regulatory obligations most cost-effectively and efficiently possible. Best practices are, by their nature, fluid. Standards are more rigid and require a legislative process to amend.   Comments are due today, 31 May 2024, so I hope that the organisations and members under the CBE, such as SACAP, SAIA, SAIAT, GIFA, CIFA, and ECSA and many others raised their concerns. BPAS Architects, #saiat #saia #sacapsa

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In an area dubbed the McCleary District — for a local park in Toronto's Port Lands — a mixed-use development in the early planning stages has been submitted by Castlepoint Numa at 115 Saulter Street South. Designed by COBE Architects, the proposal beside the area’s emerging Film Studio District includes 40- and 45-storey residential towers, along with retail spaces and production studios, reported UrbanToronto.ca "The development site currently consists of a warehouse bounded by Saulter Street South to the west, privately owned land to the north and south, and municipally owned land to the east. The McCleary District, located centrally at the north end of the Port Lands at Lake Shore and Logan, is poised for significant growth. Adjacent to existing film studios, the site is positioned near major infrastructure projects supporting the ongoing transformation of the Port Lands into a dense, transit-oriented community." "The proposed development envisions two residential towers rising to 40 storeys (125m) and 45 storeys (140m) from a shared seven-storey podium. The project would introduce 1,300 new residential units, significantly contributing to the housing supply in the Port Lands. With a total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of approximately 79,060m², residential use represents the majority at 73,650m² while 5,410m² is for non-residential purposes. The Floor Space Index on the site would be 12.61." https://lnkd.in/gXgBuy5Z #toronto #development #mixeduse #filmstudio #residential

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The estimated 2024 population of White Rock, BC is 23,225 with an annual growth rate of 1.92%. The Government of British Columbia announced housing supply targets for White Rock. By 2029 the municipality is required to add 3,060 units to its inventory. This will include multi-family, condos, rentals, and likely assisted living. Approx. 44% of all households have one occupant. Approx. 35% have two occupants. Now take that average and add 1.5 occupants per required added units to White Rock and you get a population increase of 4,590 people in the next 5 years. That's a 20% increase in projected population growth almost twice the current annual growth rate. For those of you Elvis-lovin' octogenarians who were happy aging in place... NIMBYism has left the building. #OhTheTimesTheyAreAChangin

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