City Building : In The News

The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) has released its list of organizations who have made the finals for this year's "Hottest Innovation Companies" awards. CIX--an annual conference celebrating Canada's innovation economy--will take place on December 7th at the MaRS Centre in Toronto. As reported by Media Caster, 11 Toronto companies made the prestigious list.

"CIX, taking place December 7th at the MaRS Centre in Toronto, ON, provides a platform for these companies to showcase their great Canadian innovation while catalyzing strategic relationships and transactions across this dynamic sector."

"Congratulations to all our nominees for showing the best that Canada has to offer the world," said Rick Nathan, Co-Chair of the Canadian Innovation Exchange. "These companies truly reflect what Canadian business innovation means," added Robert Montgomery, Co-Chair of the Canadian Innovation Exchange."

"Finalists will make live presentations in front of leaders of major corporations, entrepreneurs and investors. Winners in each category will be announced at the Canadian Innovation Exchange on December 7, 2010 at the MaRS Discovery Centre, Toronto."

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original source Media Caster

The Toronto Star features Homestars, a website launched by Torontonian Nancy Peterson that allows homeowners to post reviews of renovation-related service providers. With over 250,000 Canadian companies listed (including 50,000 in Toronto), Homestars has become an invaluable resource for Canadians needing renovations and repairs.
 
"Prior to launching the website, Peterson held senior marketing positions at major corporations, including Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble."

"It was hard to leave a good paying job and start a company where you are not going to make a salary for a long time," she says. But Peterson believed in her idea � a sort of TripAdvisor site for home renovations."

"To fund HomeStars, she used her own savings, took out a loan and then fundraised among friends, family and angel investors.The site broke even in 2008. Since then, profits have been reinvested in the company to fund growth � building new markets and adding new staff. There are now 13 employees, compared to four at the beginning."

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original source Toronto Star

The Huffington Post writes on Corus Quay, the new 8-storey Build Toronto office building located in the Waterfront district. Corus Quay has recently become home to a large-scale art installation by British design firm Troika.

"A shimmering combination of Brancusian shapes, swarm robotics and corporate ceiling design, the new installation by British design firm Troika is an image of hope for the city of Toronto...It's a simple, benevolent image for one of the city's industrial districts, but we wonder just how complex the patterns can get: do the fish seem to swim away if you're hostile?"

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original source Huffington Post

The Evergreen Brick Works, one of Toronto's most anticipated development projects, has officially opened to the public. For the past eight years Evergreen, an environmental non-for-profit, has been working diligently to transform 16.5-hectares of the Don River flood plain into a lively and sustainable public space. The Brick Works--which now houses, among other amenities, a museum, a year-round camp, and a food market--has already been hailed by the Globe & Mail as "cultural beacon for Torontonians and tourists alike" and by the National Geographic as one of the "world's best geo-tourism destinations".

"In many ways, [the Evergreen Brick Works's] arrival � a definitive argument for a better conserved, more sustainable Toronto � could not be more timely, coming only weeks before a municipal election that many regard as a referendum on the shape of the city's future."

"In the course of a single day, depending on the season, visitors will be able to hike, fish, scale a 27-metre climbing tower, ice skate, study trees and plants, tend a garden, fix or ride a bicycle, study art, attend a lecture on urban issues, walk the Beltline (it starts right there), dine on Brad Long's family-oriented meals, explore for fossils, watch deer, picnic, and more."

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original source Globe & Mail

The Globe & Mail writes on the UofT Scarborough's (UTSC) dramatic makeover in preparation for the 2015 Pan AM Games in Toronto. The renovations plans include an  $170-million aquatic center, a hotel and convention centre, a performing arts centre, new residences and academic buildings and a pedestrian throughfare. As reported by the Globe & Mail, far from only serving the athletic "extravaganza" the new additions have the potential to give UTSC a new identity and "to do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson is doing for Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do for Toronto's waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood."

"When Franco Vaccarino became principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough three years ago, he kept hearing a back-handed compliment about his new campus."

"This place," people would say, "is a hidden gem."

"Shrouded by trees and invisible from the nearest major streets, UTSC is more like a covert campus. In his careful academic way, Prof. Vaccarino concedes the school needs to blow its own cover."

"I like the 'gem' part," Prof. Vaccarino said. "I'm not so sure about the 'hidden' part."

"Now UTSC is on its way to becoming a much more visible treasure, thanks to an international sporting extravaganza bigger than the Winter Olympics.The 2015 Pan Am Games and a new $170-million aquatic centre for UTSC are propelling an extreme campus makeover that could include a hotel and convention centre, a performing arts centre, a new pedestrian thoroughfare lined with restaurants and caf�s, and new residences and academic buildings.By transforming 50 hectares north of the existing campus, the expansion could do for southeast Scarborough what Ryerson is doing for Yonge Street and George Brown College is expected to do for Toronto's waterfront: Improve the neighbourhood. The spillover effect is especially important at UTSC, where the poor � and poorly served � pockets of Kingston-Galloway and Malvern are a few kilometres away."

"There's a lot of pride in the area, but there's very few opportunities to express the pride," said Andrew Arifuzzaman, UTSC's chief strategy officer. "I think the Pan Am Games facility actually puts the area on the world stage."

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original source Globe & Mail

By July of 2011 Toronto will be the home of North America's largest flagstaff. As reported by the Globe & Mail, the mayor's executive committee has unanimously backed a plan to build a125-metre flag pole bearing a Canadian flag "the size of a football field ". The flagstaff, to be located near Finch Avenue West and Highway 400, is supported by the local Business Improvement Area who have agreed to raise a levy in order to finance the $3 million dollar project.

"Because our community is made up immigrants ... they have decided to celebrate being a Canadian," Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, the project's champion, said after the vote Monday."

"The executive committee voted to authorize city staff to negotiate with the Emery Village Business Improvement Area and the owner of the proposed site, a nearly 5-acre parcel at 1111 Arrow Road.The Emery Village BIA, which represents about 2,500 business owners, has agreed to raise a special levy over two years to pay for the estimated $2.5-million cost of the flag and pole and the $1-million of fixing up the site at the base of the pole."

"The full council still has to approve the flag proposal later this month.Mr. Mammoliti said he hopes city staff can work out a deal with the land owner and the BIA in time for the first council meeting after the election in January.If all goes as planned, he said, the flag will rise on July 1, 2011."

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original source Globe & Mail

Toronto nightclub owner and entrepreneur Charles Khabouth, arguably "the most powerful man in Toronto's entertainment district" is embarking on his largest project yet. As reported by the Toronto Star, Khabouth is in the process of building a $150-million boutique hotel and condominium on Blues Jays Way in the heart of the King West district. Named Bisha, the complex will have a nightclub-y feel with two themed floors and 30,000 square feet devoted to amenities.

"Khabouth, 49, grew up in Lebanon. Even though he has couture tastes � he owned his own Hugo Boss boutique, drove a Ferrari and his wife is a former model � Khabouth wears a signature dark urban safari jacket and could easily be mistaken for a bike courier."

"He worked three jobs in high school; his first was at a McDonald's. When he was 22, he started his first nightclub with a $30,000 loan. He hit it big when he used the proceeds from his first venture to rent a decrepit space at Richmond and Duncan in 1986, creating what would become the city's entertainment district."

"The privately owned INK generates now more than $30 million in revenues annually, according to Khabouth. It owns and operates the massive Guvernment and Kool Haus nightclub complex on the city's waterfront, the largest such venue in Canada with more than 50,000 square feet on the main floor, and the This Is London nightclub in the entertainment district. It also owns the Dragonfly Nightclub in Casino Niagara and a string of restaurants, including Ultra Supper Club on Queen Street and Spice Route, an Asian-influenced bistro bar on King Street West."

"This year, Khabouth is finally being recognized by the mainstream business community. He is on the short list of nominees for an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award."

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original source Toronto Star

The Huffington Post has declared Toronto "the hot new destination for all things crazy, sexy, cool". The article points to Toronto's  mix of "trendy" and unique neighbourhoods--including West Queen, Ossington and Kensington Market--as the city's main draw. Toronto is also celebrated for embracing public art projects and for its diverse culinary scene.

"Although the Toronto skyline is dotted with a dizzying array of towering glass residential developments, it is the renewal of the once dodgy but now trendy West Queen, Ossington and King West neighborhoods that have visitors buzzing about the galleries, custom clothing boutiques, restaurants and specialty stores. As a reference consider these districts to be Toronto's Brooklyn."

"Moving further along you will discover the beating heart of the city lies in Kensington Market, Little Italy, Chinatown, Little Portugal, Greektown, and Little India. It is in these neighborhoods that you will see, feel and taste the vibrant mash-up of globalization and daily life coming together."

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original source Huffington Post

According to the Globe & Mail, Toronto may become the home of Radio City Music Hall's first satellite venue outside of New York City. While no deal is yet confirmed there is speculation that the famous New York theatre will become a tenant of Woodbine Live, the 81 hectares entertainment complex slated to be completed in Rexdale by 2013.

"The developers behind Woodbine Live, a massive entertainment complex slated to open in Rexdale in 2013, are in discussions with Madison Square Garden Inc. to open a theatre under the Radio City brand, sources say."

"If the deal goes ahead, Radio City would anchor the $1-billion Woodbine Live project, one of the largest and most ambitious urban developments in Toronto's history."

"The Woodbine Entertainment Group, which owns the racetrack and casino on Rexdale Boulevard near Highway 427, has partnered with Baltimore-based Cordish Companies to transform 81 hectares of underdeveloped land near the track into a new entertainment destination."

"If the Radio City deal goes through, the theatre is slated to be part of a complex that will include caf�s, nightclubs, a skating rink, heated outdoor sidewalks, a 400-metre canal, a 600-room four-star hotel, a 16-screen cinema and a 100,000-square-foot conference centre when it opens in three years."

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original source Globe & Mail

Toronto Star columnist David Olive looks at what make Toronto a world-class city worthy of international attention. Among other characteristics, Olive highlights the city's economic stability, booming medical-research industry, ethnic diversity and advances in urban planning.

"In many ways that people who live here don't fully realize, Toronto punches far above its weight.It ranks a mere 86th in population among world cities. Yet it is now included among the world's dozen most influential centres, outranking the likes of Washington, Paris and Frankfurt in the City of London's annual global financial centres index."

"As one of the smallest of alpha cities, Toronto's influence is far disproportionate to its size. A wide range of surveys puts it surprisingly high in world rankings. There's the City of London's annual global financial index, which rates Toronto among the dozen most influential centres. Toronto also places 10th in the latest Forbes ranking of economically powerful cities."

"Toronto is still the economic heart of one of the world's wealthiest countries, and it's projected to keep humming through 2020," says Forbes. "Along with London, Toronto is the fastest-growing G8 financial centre."

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original source Toronto Star

Toronto Life's list of "50 reasons to love Toronto", the annual feature of the little things that make Toronto great, is now online. This year's list includes Kensington Market's Grilled Cheese restaurant (an eatery dedicated solely to the decedent sandwich), the annual October zombie walk and the city's concentration of young entrepreneurs.

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original source Toronto Life

BlogTO looks the construction of Mississauga's "Absolute World Condos", a five-tower condo complex being built at the corner of Burnhamthorpe and Hurontario. Author Matthew Harris muses on whether these towers (two of which were designed by winners of an extensive international design competition) are symbols that more progressive planning is in store for Canada's 6th largest city.

"... Although not officially part of Mississauga's in-progress 21 Downtown Master Plan, [the condos] are an indication of where the city is trying to head. As Janice Baker, Mississauga city manager, told Christopher Hume, "It's clear the future will be dense, vertical and transit-based. In the past the market for that wasn't there, but now that market is there. " The 21 Downtown Master Plan imagines turning the parking lots around the Square One shopping centre into mixed retail and commercial areas, adding a higher-order transit line on Hurontario, and producing more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly streets. It is hoped that the higher density around the core will help support the pedestrian uses, and in turn, make the area more popular for offices and workplaces."

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original source BlogTO

Toronto has placed 16th in Mercer Consulting's annual rankings of cities worldwide for quality of living. While Toronto has some catching up to do with Vancouver and Ottawa (which placed 4th and 12th on the list respectively ), it was still ranked the 3rd most livable city in North America.

"The consulting company, a unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos., does the survey to help employers compare countries so they can compensate workers fairly when placing them on international assignments. It measures 39 factors, including political stability, crime, currency exchange, personal freedom and health and sanitation."

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original source Business Week

Build Toronto, the city-owned real-estate corporation, is shaping Toronto's development future with a profile that currently includes 31 properties, with six others in the works. The National Post "tells you everything you need to know" about the company and why its projects are important to all Torontonians.

"Build Toronto is a real estate development corporation that will take the city's surplus land assets and sell them or partner with the private sector to develop the lands into profitable holdings. Build Toronto is designed to operate as a "profit driven entrepreneur" with a single shareholder: the city."

"The company's strategic plan states that by 2019 Build Toronto expects to receive about $280-million annually from its properties. In the meantime, sales from lands and other activities are projected at about $60-to $80-million."


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original source the National Post

Montana Steele, a Toronto-based advertising company, has received 46 National Sales and Marketing Award nominations from the National Association of Home Builders; more than any other North American company. The awards known as the "Nationals" will be presented in 2010 at the International Builders Show. Toronto's Toy Factory Lofts, Liberty Market Lofts, Festival Tower, Bohemian Embassy, and One Bedford are among some of the major developments Montana Steele are being recognized for.

"To receive 46 nominations from such an esteemed group as the NAHB is overwhelming," says Joe Latobesi, partner, Montana Steele. "We are very proud of the work we're doing in the Canadian real estate industry and we are thrilled to see that work being recognized by our peers in the US."

"Clearly, the sheer number of nominations we received - and the number of projects we were able to submit for consideration, demonstrates that our market is thriving and reinforces the growing realization that the Toronto real estate industry is setting the bar for architecture, design, marketing and development around the world."

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original source Toronto Star