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Oxford trumpets Arbora acquisition; sustainability debated

5 years ago

Oxford Properties Group says it made good business sense to recently buy two rental buildings in the Arbora development, the largest residential project in Quebec with a solid wood structure. Arbora consists of three eight-storey buildings (two apartments, one condos).

By partnering with BCI Management Corp. on a $7-billion real estate fund targeted to smaller and mid-level institutional investors, RBC Global Asset Management’s Michael Kitt believes a door has opened to a sector previously shut out.

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Empire Co. Ltd. (EMP-A-T), the expansive network of Canadian grocery brands, believes its recently acquired Farm Boy chain is what it needs to finally take on Ontario’s biggest grocery markets in the GTA.

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A study will help  create a new neighbourhood to be built within the next 20 years on the Yorkdale Shopping Centre‘s vast above ground parking lots to the north and west of the main retail buildings.

NAI Commercial

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Coquitlam’s new plan for its city centre aims to reduce sprawl, stop the destruction of older and still affordable homes, keep a lid on rising assessments and create lively neighborhoods.

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Vancouver commercial property investment appears headed for another robust year due to strong fundamentals in the office, industrial and retail markets that are fuelling record-low vacancies and never-seen-before rental rates, according to CBRE’s Canadian Real Estate Market Outlook.

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Canadian home values fell last year for the first time in three decades amid falling prices in some of the country’s priciest markets. The value of residential real estate in Canada held by households dropped $30 billion in Q4 to $5.10 trillion.

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A new partnership by Fiera Infrastructure (FSZ-T) and EllisDon Capital represents a vote of confidence in the future of the Canadian P3 sector and gives the latter added opportunities to innovate on the delivery end of P3 contracts, say executives.

ROMSPEN

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Efforts to upgrade Fairmont Hotel Macdonald‘s famous Confederation Lounge has sparked heated discussion on the Edmonton hotel’s social media platforms. Hundreds of patrons took to social media to express fear a planned upgrade will scrub out the hotel’s iconic features.

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The curtain will rise April 2 to reveal the exciting new restaurant, bar and meeting space in the lobby area of Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser Hotel.

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The Competition Bureau says engineering firm WSP Global Inc. has been ordered to pay $4 million for bid-rigging on municipal infrastructure contracts in Quebec. The bid-rigging scheme occurred between 2002 and 2011, when the firm was known as Genivar Inc.

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Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management (BAM-A-T) was not attempting to influence the White House when it acquired a troubled Manhattan office building from the family of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner, Brookfield said Tuesday.

Community Trust

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Nanos, one of Canada’s top pollsters, has some sage advice for Canadian contractors partnering with international companies to bid on major local projects: focus on cultivating local relationships and creating jobs in the community or region.

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United Airlines will keep its headquarters at Chicago’s famed Willis Tower, renewing its lease until 2033. The airline will also invest millions to upgrade its office space, at the same time owner Blackstone is nearing the end of a $500-million renovation.

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True North Commercial REIT, (TNT-UN-T), Canada Newswire

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Melcor Developments Ltd., (MRD-T), Globe Newswire

Saskatchewan Real Estate Forum

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It may come as a surprise to home sellers and real estate agents, but a Vancouver-based real estate analyst claims Fort McMurray’s housing market is on the mend. “The bloodletting has stopped,” declared Dane Eitel, head of Eitel Insights.

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The federal mortgage stress test is to blame for a drop in sales that has led to an average B.C. home price decline of nearly 10%, according to the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).

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