Webinar – Adaptive Reuse Trends in the Commercial Real Estate Market and Implications for Environmental Due Diligence
While it would be fair to say that the current state and the overall forecast for commercial real estate transactions are robust, it is clear the global pandemic has accelerated certain market trends that were underway prior to COVID-19. One of those trends is “adaptive reuse” – the repurposing of existing buildings for different uses. In this webinar, our panel of experts will discuss how the continued growth of ecommerce, the transformation of retail, shifting population demographics, the new normal of remote work, and other factors are revolutionizing the way buildings and structures are being retrofitted, reused, and redeveloped to meet the demands of a new real estate ecosystem.
The webinar will:
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- Provide an overview of adaptive reuse and the CRE market drivers that are feeding demand for retail, office, and other types of building conversions.
- Analyze the macro trends in urban and suburban living that are impacting CRE and identify what markets and metros are prime areas for growth.
- Highlight specific opportunities for converting existing buildings to new uses and the benefits to property owners, investors and developers.
- Showcase examples and case studies of successful adaptive reuse projects.
- Explore the unique implications for environmental due diligence and the potential pitfalls to watch for with regards to adaptive reuse projects.
Moderated by:
Eric Pringle, P.Eng, Managing Partner/CEO, Milestone Environmental Contracting
Eric Pringle is the Managing Partner / CEO for Milestone Environmental Contracting, a Canadian remediation contractor. As a professional engineer, Eric is well known for his extensive experience in brownfield redevelopment and environmental / remedial design solutions. Eric also serves as a senior technical peer reviewer for the entire Project Management team. Under his leadership, Milestone has experienced exponential growth, and has led to Milestone being ranked and listed as one of Canada’s 500 fastest growing company in 2019, by the Canadian Business and Maclean Magazines GROWTH 500.
About the Speakers:
Mary W. Rowe, CEO, Canadian Urban Institute
Mary W. Rowe is a leading urban advocate and civil society trailblazer who has worked in cities and with communities across Canada and the United States. Mary was President of the Canadian platform Ideas That Matter, a convening and publishing program based on the work of renowned urbanist Jane Jacobs, when a mid-career fellowship with the US-based blue moon fund led her to New Orleans. There she worked with national philanthropy, governments and community activists to support rebuilding through micro-investments in neighbourhood projects for seven years in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to joining CUI as President and Chief Executive Officer, Mary lived in New York City and served as Executive Vice President of the Municipal Art Society (MASNYC), one of America’s oldest civic advocacy organizations focused on the built environment.
Mary is a Senior Fellow with Shorefast, a national charity focussed on building community economies, and the creator, executive producer and host of CityTalk, a regular virtual discussion featuring a diverse line-up of leading and emerging voices on the most pressing issues of the day.
Dev Mehta, Principal, BDP Quadrangle
Dev is equal parts creative and pragmatic which leads to inspired and functional designs.
He pursued his architectural studies at Carleton University, where he received his Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Masters of Architecture. Since joining the Studio in 2013, Dev lead teams on increasingly complex and demanding projects such as the Bata Shoe Factory, a conversion of a historic factory building into a contemporary mixed-use commercial and residential property in Batawa; 7800 Jane Street, an iconic mixed-use development in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre; and Indigo Phases I, II and III, a series of mid-rise buildings that define a transit-oriented development.
Dev is well respected for his articulate communication and design strategies by team members and clients alike and is known for his leadership within the Studio, strong design sensibilities and the attention he devotes to project management.
Alex Speigel, Partner, Windmill Development Group
Alex is a partner with the Windmill Development Group and a Senior Consultant with Urban Equation. A (retired) architect with over 40 years of experience in design and development, he is strongly committed to a high standard of design and sustainability.
Recent Toronto projects include The Plant, a 100,000 sf mixed-use project in Queen West that embeds urban agriculture into the design and programming of the building and Arch Lofts, an adaptive re-use of a heritage church into 40 residential units. Current work includes several neighbourhood infill projects in Toronto, a community scale project — Baker District in Guelph, recently endorsed as a One Planet Living Community — as well as two projects in Ottawa.
He serves on the ULI Mentorship program and is a past member of the Annex Residents Association and the Friends of the Greenline Advisory Panel.
Paula Hutchison, P.Eng.(ON), Principal, Geosyntec Consultants
Paula Hutchison is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, and a Qualified Person, Environmental Site Assessment (QPESA) and Qualified Person, Risk Assessment (QPRA), as defined by O.Reg. 153/04, as amended. She has over the last 15+ years worked full‑time as an engineer on a variety of environmental projects throughout Canada and the United States. Ms. Hutchison’s technical focus throughout her career has been related to projects involving environmental site investigations, remediation, and risk assessment. Included in her experience are the following types of work: property transaction environmental due diligence (e.g., Phase I and II ESAs; estimation of remediation costs; etc.); evaluation of compliance with environmental regulations; performance of remedial investigation/feasibility studies for contaminated properties; evaluation of the applicability of remedial measures for contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water systems; execution of risk assessments; and filing of Records of Site Conditions (RSCs). Ms. Hutchison has served as the primary author of over 200 environmental due diligence reports (Phase I and/or II ESAs). Ms. Hutchison holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Environmental Engineering with Chemical Specialization.