Nick Ainis was a site and project manager for various Toronto condominium developers after studying architectural science and project management at Ryerson University, but branched out on his own to devote all of his time to Fusioncorp in 2007.

The co-founder and chief executive officer of the boutique construction, project management and general contracting organization specializes in residential condos, rental apartments, building conversions, refurbishment, restoration and commercial construction.

“We're always looking to improve our systems and practices,” Ainis told a group of real estate journalists during a recent presentation. “We’re a very adaptable company that’s creative in our problem-solving with things that come up during the construction process.”

Ainis’ creativity has also shown up in a new way with his recently published book, Building Toronto’s Skyline: Toronto Condominiums Through The Decades, co-authored with Charlie M. Wordsworth. The 142-page book traces the city’s residential towers from their beginnings in the late 19th century to the modern high-rise buildings of today.

“I’m an advocate for affordable housing and innovation in the construction and development industries,” Ainis said. “and I think we can get some clues from history to solve current problems.”

Past Fusioncorp projects

Fusioncorp aims to build new condos and other projects that future authors might write about, and it already has a number of projects to its credit in Ontario. 

While 80 to 90 per cent of Fusioncorp buildings are built for other companies, it also develops self-funded projects by itself or as part of joint ventures.

Past Fusioncorp projects include:

• Lakeside Residences, a 97-unit affordable housing development on The Queensway South in Keswick that was completed in 2014 for owners Fairgate Homes and Housing York Inc.;
• Carmelina Condos, a 12-storey, 147-unit condo at 2055 Danforth Ave. in Toronto that was completed in 2015 for owner Tre Memovia Developments;
• Amik II, a four-storey, 20-unit affordable housing complex for status and non-status First Nations members at 3087 Danforth Ave. in Toronto that was completed in 2016 for owners Triumph Developments and New Frontiers Aboriginal Residential Corporation;
• King George School Lofts & Towns, an infill project with 11 condo residences and 14 freehold townhomes on Park Avenue in Newmarket that was completed in 2021 for owner Rose;
• and Terrasse at The Hunt Club, an eight-storey, 32-unit condo at 1316 Kingston Rd. in Scarborough that was completed this year for owner Sunrise Gate Homes.

Smaller projects can come with risks

Sustainability is a priority in all of Fusioncorp’s projects, Ainis said. It uses environmentally friendly practices, sustainable materials and renewable energy sources, wherever and whenever possible, to reduce the environmental footprint.

While Fusioncorp aims to deliver quality products in a cost-effective manner, high interest rates and construction costs aren’t the only challenges facing the company.

“Labour is always an issue,” Ainis said of a problem plaguing the entire Canadian construction industry. “These are small projects and you might think that they're easier, but they're actually sometimes tough.” 

Smaller projects generally aren’t as profitable as larger ones, according to Ainis, and they have the potential to fail financially if something goes wrong during construction.
 
Fusioncorp has two other mid-sized projects scheduled for completion next year:

• Harbour Ten10, a five-storey, 110-unit condo at 1010 Dundas St. E. in Whitby being built for owner Castle Group Developments;
• and Yeo Towns, featuring 62 stacked townhomes on Yeomans Street in Belleville being built for owner JayKam Developers.

Royal Rose Court

A project Ainis is more personally involved with is Royal Rose Court, a proposed event venue located in the mid-1800s-built former jail and courthouse in Owen Sound.

The building is owned by another company Ainis founded called FC Entertainment & Hospitality Inc.

The aim is to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the existing heritage buildings with minimal alterations and virtually no demolition to accommodate uses including: dining; entertainment; special events; community and institutional uses such as an art gallery and museum; and a business incubator.

The project is under construction and should be completed in 2026.

ÖÖD House

Fusioncorp is also in talks with ÖÖD House, a family-owned mirror house production company founded in Estonia in 2016, which manufactures modular and micro-housing products.

The goal is to acquire the Canadian rights and share revenues to use the approximately 100-square-foot structures as hospitality rentals.

“I like exploring different new products and we’re going to try this out and have some fun,” said Ainis.

“There are all sorts of places in Canada where this would be appropriate. We’re going to put one in Owen Sound because we own some property there and want to test it out there.”