2022
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS AWARD Categories
OFFICE LEASE..............................................................................B3 INDUSTRIAL LEASE......................................................... B4 retail LEASE...............................................................................B5 MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT.......................... B6 OFFICE DEVELOPMENT........................................... B6 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT........................ B7 INVESTMENT TRANSACTION..................... B8 Tenant Improvement....................................... B8 DEVELOPING LEADERS............................................ B9 icons hall of fame............................... B10-b11
Presented by
GOLD sponsors
Platinum sponsors
SILVER sponsors
bronze sponsor
B2
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS
Message from the President
NAIOP
Vancouver is proud to produce and deliver the Commercial Real Estate Awards for 2022. We could not do this without the tremendous support of our sponsors and thank them all for your ongoing commitment and encouragement. I would also like to acknowledge our organizing committee who have worked tirelessly on the delivery of this event. This year’s awards recognize excellence in commercial real estate within the Metro Vancouver area for the years 2020 and 2021. This is our sixth biennial celebration of local achievement in many of the commercial real estate segments. These awards recognize the full range of disciplines involved in creating successful, forward-thinking real estate solutions, while highlighting the leadership role played by property owners, developers and professional advisers. As always, we received a tremendous assortment of quality submissions this year and our judges, whom we thank for their time, were able to narrow these down to just under 30 finalists and the showcase of winners we are excited to present. When celebrating commercial real estate in British Columbia, it’s important to recall the vital role that NAIOP Vancouver plays in advocating for our members and for the commercial real estate industry. The NAIOP Vancouver Board and our committees work constantly to represent our industries, participating closely with many local Municipalities as well as the Provincial and Federal Governments. In addition to being the voice of the
commercial real estate community NAIOP Vancouver seeks to enrich our industry by bringing people together and providing education and mentorship to build both community and careers. This year more than ever we have worked hard to advocate for our industry, focused on numerous key issues in consultation with many municipalities and government bodies including but not limited to: •Liaising with Provincial and Municipal Policy Makers •Development Issues Roundtables •Development Policy Updates •Advocacy on Tax, Fees and Approvals •Municipal Recognition Through our Annual Cost of Business Survey The Commercial Real Estate Awards are our way of highlighting the achievement of our industry. NAIOP Vancouver is proud to be a part of this success. Please join me in congratulating this year’s finalists and applauding this year’s winners. Paul Tilbury President, NAIOP Vancouver, 2022
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AWARDS COMMITTEE Conrad Rego, Partner, McCarthy Tétrault
Judges
Brad McArthur, Business Development Manager Elevation Vancouver
Gord Robson, Principal, Industrial Avison Young
Amanda Payne, Vice President, Business Development Third Space
Beth Berry,
Derick Fluker,
Doug Pulver.
Vice President, Industrial Development Beedie
Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Asset Management Wesgroup
Executive Managing Director, Vancouver Colliers
Jocelyne Legal,
Mark Hannah,
Executive Managing Director and Managing Principal, Vancouver & Victoria Cushman & Wakefield
Managing Director, Real Estate Nicola Wealth
Peter Odegaard, Partner, MCM Architects
Tom Knoepfel, Senior Vice President, Retail Cadillac Fairview
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
B3
AWARDS
BEST Office Lease | Finalists This award is presented to the top office lease completed during the years 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon the complexity, innovation and creativity of the transaction to meet the objectives of the landlord or tenant. Market impact of the transaction is another important consideration.
Kaslo at Renfrew Owner: Colliers In 2018, LaSalle College Vancouver (LaSalle) engaged Colliers to assess their needs for a future campus. In 2018 Molnar Group acquired the land between Kaslo and Renfrew, adjacent to Renfrew Station. This included 2 parcels - LaSalle’s 80,000 SF building at 2665 Renfrew (100% occupied by LaSalle) and a parking lot to the west at 2710 Kaslo Street with approximately 210,000 SF of commercial density. Over ~3 years, LaSalle, Molnar and Colliers negotiated a pre-lease and build-to-suit agreement to move LaSalle out of Renfrew into a purpose-built building at Kaslo.
Cadillac Fairview Microsoft - Miller Thomson Owner: Cadillac Fairview This deal was like a complex puzzle; if one piece did not fit, the bigger picture wouldn’t work. It demanded immense coordination amongst the five parties involved in the deal; Cadillac Fairview, Microsoft, Miller Thomson, EY, and Colliers who represented Microsoft and Miller Thomson. The deal involved an early termination of EY at the TD Tower, relocation of Miller Thomson from 725 Granville to the former EY space, and expansion of Microsoft into the space Miller Thomson moved from.
EA at 1077 Great Northern Way
Animal Logic & Westbank - Main Alley
Owner: PCI Developments PCI and Low Tide Properties acquired 1077 Great Northern Way in March 2021. PCI and Low Tide purchased 1077 Great Northern Way as a vacant building previously home to MEC, however on July 9, 2021, only 4 months after acquisition of the building, Electronic Arts leased up the entire LEED Platinum office building by taking the 119,846 SF space as their own flagship location. The purchase of 1077 Great Northern Way solidifies the growth of the South Flatz vision to be an innovative and creative tech hub in Vancouver.
Landlord: Westbank Mount Pixel lives up to its name and Westbank’s Main Alley leads the charge, securing one of the largest deals in 2021 – Australia’s Animal Logic. Main Alley’s M4 offers all “Animals” a physical space to support their culture of collaboration in a hybrid work from home and studio environment. Animal Logic will support 600 local high paying creative & technology jobs and their tenancy kicks off the important 3rd phase of the campus - supporting economic stimulation with construction, demand for retail and amenities.
King George Hub Landlord: Westbank Westland Insurance Group Ltd. completed a lease for 83,272 square feet to become the anchor office tenant within PCI Developments Hub 9850 at King George Hub located in Surrey City Centre
We are a proud supporter of the NAIOP CREA 2022 Awards Gala.
beedie.ca
BUILT FOR TODAY. BUILT FOR TOMORROW. BUILT FOR GOOD.
Dorigo Systems Ltd. Completed 2020
B4
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS
BEST Industrial Lease | Finalists This award is presented to the top industrial lease completed during the calendar years of 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon the complexity, innovation and creativity of the transaction to meet the objectives of landlord and/or tenant. Market impact of the transaction is also considered.
Amazon Multi-Storey Industrial Lease
Evolution Block
River Road Distribution Centre
Owner: Oxford Properties Group This marquee lease between Amazon and Oxford Properties Group showcases innovation between partners in one of North America’s most land constrained markets. With confidence in the core urban location, Oxford began construction on the 707,000 SF multi-storey logistics building in early 2020 – marking the largest speculative industrial building ever constructed in the GVA. The buildings unique attributes including the size, scale and location attracted interest from the world’s leading e-commerce company, lining up with their cutting edge requirements.
Owner: PC Urban Properties Corp. Top three floors of the multi-storey “Evolution Block” building at 1055 Vernon Drive totalling 77,677 sf of office & light industrial space leased by Precision NanoSystems Inc. PNI is a biotech company leading in genetic medicine development, and this new facility will allow them to expand into the manufacturing of RNA vaccines and therapeutics. The transaction set a new market precedent for rates in the East False Creek Flats neighbourhood of Vancouver. PCU and the listing team managed to pivot the asset from strata to lease and navigate multiple challenges through the transition to secure the tenancy.
Owner: Wesgroup Properties River Road Distribution Centre is Delta’s newest and most efficient distribution and fulfillment centre. The 373,000 square foot building boasts market-leading design, including 36’ clear ceilings, a 62’6” speed bay, 57’ bay widths, a secured 185’ loading court with a separate drive-aisle/staging line, one dock per 5,000 square feet of warehouse and 1.1 trailer parking stalls per dock door. River Road Distribution Centre is located in Tilbury, a highly coveted logistics hub, with quick access and prominent exposure to Highway 17. lululemon athletica has leased the entire 373,000 square foot facility for their new distribution centre.
Think Different. Think Big. Think BOSA. thinkbosa.com
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
B5
AWARDS
BEST Retail LEASE | Finalists Award will be given to the team or individual responsible for negotiating the top retail lease completed during the calendar years 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon the complexity, innovation and creativity of the transaction to meet the objectives of all parties involved. Market impact of the transaction also figures into the judging.
MEC Vancouver Flagship Store
Hello Nori
River District Town Centre
Owner: Beedie With a vision to develop a truly distinctive project on Beedie’s gateway site at the entrance to Vancouver’s Southeast False Creek neighbourhood, Beedie partnered with Vancouver-born MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) to build MEC’s new Vancouver Flagship retail store. The purpose-built retail building comprises a total of 60,000 SF, including 35,000 SF of retail space across 2 floors, with office and community space on the 3rd floor to be occupied by MEC staff and subleased to like-minded organizations. The Cross-Laminated Timber (“CLT”) constructed building is one of the largest retail applications of the methodology to date, and is LEED Gold Certified.
Leasing Agent: Colliers In a tough pandemic environment, whereby the hospitality industry are most affected, a new restauranteur have arrived with “Hello Nori” as a new brand of Hand Roll sushi restaurants to emerge in the market and thrive.
Owner: Wesgroup In November 2021, Wesgroup entered into a lease with the 4 tenants completing the restaurant offering at River District Town Centre. These tenants include Bufula & Lucky Taco (Gooseneck Hospitality), Local Public Eatery & Kokoro. On the banks of the Fraser River, the River District Town Centre is the retail component servicing a unique, 124-acre neighbourhood located in the area formerly known as East Fraserlands in South Vancouver. Once complete, River District will feature 10,432 homes and a population of approximately 18,000 residents. Marcus & Millichap represented the landlord for project leasing, merchandising tenant mix, project layout and design recommendations.
CONWEST
Latitude Surrey Now Selling
Pivotal 2 Port Coquitlam Now Selling
Our purpose is to do great real estate projects, with great people, for the right reasons. For over three decades, Conwest has built a renowned track record of delivering exceptional commercial and industrial projects throughout the Lower Mainland. Committed to delivering quality, innovation and value, Conwest is built on a foundation of long-term relationships, superior customer experience, and integrity in everything we do.
conwest.com Learn more about our featured projects Riverworks Vancouver Coming Soon
B6
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS
BEST Mixed-Use Development | Finalists This award is presented to the top mixed-use project completed during the calendar years of 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon quality, functionality, leasing, sustainability and financial performance of the project. Innovation and scale are also considered.
King George Hub Phase 2 & 3
Station Square Sites 2, 3 & 5
Fast + Epp Head Office
Houss
Owner: PCI Developments King George Hub is a true transit-oriented, mixed-used community developed in phases by PCI Developments in Surrey City Centre. Showcasing a mixture of office, retail and residential uses directly adjacent to rapid transit, the 2nd and 3rd phases were completed through 2021 and incorporate: 738 residential condo homes (“Hub One” and “Hub Two”), 100,000 SF of service retail anchored by Save-On Foods, a 170,000 SF office building (“Hub 9850”) anchored by Westland Insurance (90,000 sf), and “The Line” offering 371 highly amenitized and functional purpose-built rental homes.
Owners: Anthem Properties & Beedie “Station Square is a mixed-use community, designed to support a variety of live, work and play activities. It offers city living in Burnaby’s most central urban locale, with a hip and modern cafe culture, lively restaurants, markets, elevated green space and direct access to SkyTrain, transit and Canada’s second largest shopping mall, Metropolis. Sites 2, 3 and 5 are built around a pedestrian-friendly Restaurant Row along Silver Drive, which is anchored by Dolar Shop Hot Pot, Earls and Cactus Club, the latter of the two relocating to Station Square from their highly visible Kingsway locations. Silver Drive was designed to encourage pedestrian activation, utilizing high-quality street furniture and finishes.
Owners: Fast + Epp/Yukon St. Holdings Ltd. The 15,500 sq. ft. commercial–industrial building was a custom build, housing the engineering and research operations of Fast + Epp Consulting Structural Engineers. The building was shoehorned onto a narrow 40-foot-wide lot consisting of 2.5 storeys of office space over 1.5 storeys of research and testing space. The project has numerous innovations including one of the first examples in the city of hybrid mass timber – steel construction, along with the first application of resilient Tectonus seismic connectors in North America, which enable immediate post-earthquake occupancy. Electrochromic glass with automated tinting was used to reduce summertime cooling loadings and glare.
Owner: Conwest HOUSS is a distinct building totaling 16,967 SF in a vibrant community, providing a mix of 22 strata office, industrial space and a restaurant/service component on the main floor with unit sizes starting from 830 SF to 13,998 SF. The development preserves a historic home previously located on the site, the Coulter House.
BEST Office Development | Finalists This award is presented to the top office project completed during the calendar years 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon quality, functionality, leasing, sustainability and financial performance of the project. Innovation required to realize the project is also considered.
601 West Hastings
402 Dunsmuir
City Centre 3
Owner: PCI Developments 601 West Hastings is a LEED Gold Class A office tower centrally located in downtown Vancouver across the street from Waterfront Station. This 26-storey development features stunning views and efficient floorplans with unique 9,000 sf floorplates. 601 West Hastings activates the street level with its welcoming vibrant public plaza through the addition of added seating options, water foundation feature and unique curved wooden soffits that brightens the prominent intersection of Seymour and West Hastings.
Owner: Oxford Properties Group 402 Dunsmuir brings a classic but distinct look to Vancouver with its black metal framing and wood tones and offers fresh air through operable windows to its occupants. The building compliments it’s counterpart - 401 West Georgia - allowing a new public plaza to be constructed between the buildings. Large floorplates, access to free amenities and high ceilings bring plenty of natural light and a workspace popular with many companies looking to bring employees together. The building also features a dedicated car-share program, enhanced cycling amenities and an outdoor area for our furry friends.
Developer: Lark Group The City Centre 3 project (CC3) is a 10-storey mixed use building located on the northeast corner of 96th Avenue and 137A Street in Surrey, BC, across the street from Surrey Memorial Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency. This building contributes to Surrey’s Health and Technology District by providing first- class facilities for the growing medical and technology community around Surrey Memorial Hospital.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
B7
AWARDS
BEST Industrial Development | Finalists This award is presented to the top industrial development completed during the calendar years 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon quality, functionality, leasing, sustainability and financial performance of the project. Innovation is also considered. This category includes both multiple building projects and single building projects.
Trove
The Beltline off Broadway
Saputo
King Business Park
Owner: Hungerford Properties Trove is Vancouver’s first automotive and luxury lifestyle commercial development. It is more than a place to store vehicles, it is a unique destination where a community of like-minded individuals with an automotive passion come together, and where specific businesses focused on the automotive industry cater to the needs of owners.
Owner: Rendition Developments The Beltline off Broadway is a contemporary 36,000 square foot, 4-level strata office and flex-industrial development mid-block on 8th Ave between Alberta and Columbia in the vibrant Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver. Showcasing an architecturally forward design and using colour to animate the features, the building brought a new modern edge to the area’s traditional industrial roots. The carefully planned layout maximizes space without compromising design and aesthetics. The project was one of the first of its kind to offer private deck space for tenants on each floor as well as a 4th floor patio with stunning views.
Developer/Co-Owner: Beedie Saputo Inc. (“Saputo”), a Canadian-based company and one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, required the development and construction of a new, custom-built fluid milk production facility. Their existing Metro Vancouver facility was aging, and they required a larger plant that was able to accommodate the increased demand for their products across Western Canada, with an annual distribution of over 230 million litres of product in BC alone. A facility totaling 349,993 SF which consolidates processing, warehousing, and office was purpose-built by Beedie on a brownfield site to address Saputo’s requirement.
Developer: Cedar Coast King Business Park is a large-bay industrial strata complex offering state-of-theart spaces for industrial businesses in the Fraser Valley. King Business Park consists of two buildings totaling 112,372 SF, with unit sizes ranging from 11,667 SF to 14,537 SF with first-class construction and modern specifications. Strategically located south-west of the Highway 1 Clearbrook Road interchange, King Business Park features high accessibility and proximity to key logistics routes, as well as the Abbotsford International Airport, the US border, and downtown Abbotsford.
B8
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS
BEST Investment Transaction | Finalists This award is presented to the top investment transaction completed during the calendar years 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon the complexity, innovation and creativity of the transaction to meet the objectives of all parties involved. Market impact of the transaction is also considered.
Telus Lands Broker: Colliers This remarkable 14-acre development site located in the Bainbridge Urban Village area of Burnaby is ideally situated halfway between the booming Brentwood and Lougheed Town Centre areas. Bainbridge is an amenity-rich, lifestyle- oriented area that enjoys immediate access to Burnaby Lake Park and Sports Complex. We would like to thank TELUS Pension Fund for selecting Colliers to represent their interests in the transaction and congratulate Create Properties for its purchase of a phenomenal master-planned development site.
EA at 1077 Great Northern Way Owner: PCI Developments PCI and Low Tide Properties acquired 1077 Great Northern Way in March 2021 to add to the complete vision of South Flatz creative district. PCI and Low Tide purchased 1077 Great Northern Way as a vacant building previously home to MEC, however on July 9, 2021, only 4 months after acquisition of the building, Electronic Arts leased up the entire LEED Platinum office building by taking the 119,846 SF space as their own flagship location. The purchase of 1077 Great Northern Way solidifies the growth of the South Flatz vision to be an innovative and creative tech hub in Vancouver.
Vancouver Legacy Apartment Portfolio & West Side Collection Vendor: CBRE Limited The sale of the Vancouver Legacy Apartment Portfolio & West Side Collection; a premium collection of 15 best-in-class rental apartment assets comprising a total of 614 residential suites and prominently situated throughout 5 of Vancouver’s most prestigious west side neighborhoods. The CBRE National Apartment Group’s (NAG) team leveraged its established coast-tocoast marketing platform with Vancouver & Toronto team members to ensure maximum exposure to the most qualified buyers locally, nationally and internationally, while executing a seamless extensive marketing process.
St Paul’s Hospital Vendor: CBRE Limited CBRE Vancouver’s National Investment Team conducted a comprehensive sales process to sell St. Paul’s Hospital, a generational opportunity to acquire the 6.6-acre site where St. Paul’s Hospital is currently situated. This iconic site in Downtown Vancouver offered the opportunity to develop up to 1.9 million square feet. CBRE was engaged by Providence Health Care to source a qualified investor with the capacity to reimagine the site into an influential mixed-use development. We received significant global interest and successfully transacted to local Canadian developer Concord Pacific, with the sale becoming the catalyst to commence development of the New St. Paul’s Hospital.
BEST Tenant improvement | Finalists Award will be given to the team or individual responsible for the best tenant improvement completed during the calendar years of 2020 and 2021. Selection is based upon the quality, functionality, leasing, sustainability and financial performance of the project. Innovation is also considered. This category includes both multiple projects and single building projects.
Hudson Pacific Properties Regional Office Owner: Hudson Pacific Properties Hudson Pacific’s Vancouver Regional Office celebrates the role an incredible workspace can have on people and culture. The objective was to reimagine how office space inside an iconic asset like Bentall Centre could be transformed with a focus on flexibility, sustainability, community and hospitality. All these factors came together to create the concept and identity: peeling back the layers of the old and introducing a tech-inspired rawness, with hospitality features, and functional hybrid spaces. Exposed concrete floors and ceilings, polished chrome framed partitions contrast against natural wood elements, warm lighting, drapery, furniture and art.
YVR14 Tenant Improvement Project
University Canada West
Owner: Oxford Properties This nine-storey 149,000 SF tenant improvement project is located in a newly constructed building at 402 Dunsmuir Street to accommodate Amazon’s growing workforce. Features of the space include open and private office spaces, a cafeteria, conference rooms, phone booths, IT rooms, MDF/IDF rooms and a training center. Each floor has Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) integrated artwork components that are unique to each floor. Due to the clients advanced security measures MDF and IDF rooms were handed over to the client four to six weeks prior to the completion.
Vendor: Fusion Projects Named one of CNN’s most anticipated buildings of 2020, Vancouver House has attracted attention from around the world. The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) designed project includes a 59-storey residential tower, a residential rental building and two additional commercial buildings between the offramps of the Granville Street Bridge. All forming a new waterfront community, called the Beach District
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
B9
AWARDS
Developing LeaderS
A
core focus of NAIOP is supporting the next generation of leaders in the commercial real estate industry. Referred to as our Developing Leaders, the “DL” group is made up of industry professionals 35 and under. NAIOP Vancouver is proud to have an active and dynamic Developing Leaders Committee which contributes significantly to our culture and activities.
Joshua Gaglardi,
both of the intervening years since our last awards night. Criteria for the award include career growth and accomplishments as well as contribution to the commercial real estate Industry and the community at large through service. We also consider any involvement with NAIOP, our Developing Leaders and other work in the local commercial real estate community. We congratulate all of this year’s nominees!
Jessica Hathaway,
Devin Ringham,
Associate Vice President, Colliers Vancouver, Investment Sales
Principal, Occupier Solutions Avison Young
Jordan Carlson,
Ravi Mann,
Layla Vera,
Senior Vice President, Investment Group Anthem Properties
President, PROPetual Capital Partners & Director, Finance & Investment, Isle of Mann Property Group
Senior Associate, Marcus & Millichap
Principal, Orion Construction
5/17/22, 4:00 PM
Known for their social and education events as well as work on important NAIOP Vancouver projects such as our annual Cost of Business Survey, the DL group is also a key source of future board members. In fact, our three immediate past presidents began their association with NAIOP in our DL Group. In a change from the past, this year we will begin presenting awards to two Developing Leaders covering
Cedar Coast_2022.05.10.png
B10
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AWARDS
T
he NAIOP Vancouver Chapter is proud to announce the creation of our NAIOP Icons Hall of Fame, to be inaugurated at our biennial Commercial Real Estate Awards of Excellence gala on June 2nd at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. This hall of fame is being established with our NAIOP Icons, declared over the past two decades. Each of these industry leaders has been the keynote speaker at a breakfast or lunch event held in their honour. Going forward we will present a new NAIOP Icon at each awards gala. The NAIOP Icon Award is given to individuals in the commercial real estate development field who have demonstrated great leadership, contributed much to the industry, and their community, and who we hold up as examples in our sector and in Metro Vancouver as a whole. We will name our newest icon on June 2nd.
joesph segal | President Kingswood Capital Corp
Dr. Robert H. Lee | Founder, Prospero International Realty Inc.
Icon: 2009 Mr. Segal, a native of Vegreville, Alberta, served overseas in the Second Canadian Infantry Division during World War Two with the Calgary Highlanders. After returning home in November 1945 and then settling in Vancouver in 1946, Mr. Segal started a small war surplus business. He later founded Fields Stores Limited, which acquired Zellers in 1976. Mr. Segal led the Zellers chain as it substantially increased profits and more than doubled its sales over the next three years without opening any new stores. When Zellers was purchased by The Bay in 1979, Mr. Segal became a major shareholder, joining the board of The Hudson’s Bay Company. That same year, Mr. Segal moved into new ventures, forming Kingswood Capital Corporation, a venture capital, real estate development and acquisitions firm. Under Mr. Segal’s leadership, Kingswood acquired numerous clothing manufacturers, and various other businesses ranging from sporting goods such as Collegiate Sports to steel manufacturing. Kingswood is a major land developer and property investment firm. For his contributions to his community, education and business in British Columbia, Mr. Segal was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1992. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1993, and in 2005 received the Variety Club International Humanitarian Award, amongst many other awards. In May 2007, Mr. Segal was inducted into both the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and the BC Business Hall of Fame. Joseph Segal lives in Vancouver with his wife, Dr. Rosalie Segal.
Icon: 2010 Dr. Robert H. Lee was one of British Columbia’s most influential businessmen and philanthropists throughout his life. His contributions to the commercial real estate sector and business landscape of Vancouver have been consistently recognized and admired. Dr. Lee’s career in real estate included the co-founding of Wall Financial Corporation, the founding of Prospero Group, and the establishment of housing projects throughout the University of British Columbia campus. As an alumni, he was a visionary that was so important to the history of the University of British Columbia, that the university named its graduate business school the Robert H. Lee Graduate School. In 1979, he founded his own real estate development company: Prospero International Realty; and in 1988, he founded the UBC Properties Trust. Through his oversight of the UBC Properties Trust, he was one of the first individuals to propose the development of market housing on UBC’s campus while utilizing 99-year land leases. His involvement in British Columbia’s commercial real estate industry has generated billions of dollars of economic development for the province. Dr. Lee’s contributions have led to numerous awards and recognitions, including the Order of B.C. in 1990, the Order of Canada in 1999, the Ernst & Young Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, and the naming of the Robert and Lily Lee Family and Community Health Centre and the Robert Lee YMCA in Vancouver.
john R. Mclernon | Honorary Chair & Co-Founder, Colliers
david podmore | OBC Chair, President & CEO
Icon: 2011 John McLernon has been active in the real estate industry since 1968. He began his career on the development side with Marathon Realty in Montreal, and later Vancouver. He became President of Vancouver-based Macaulay Nicolls Maitland in 1977 and was instrumental in the employee purchase of the company and the formation of the CMN Group in 1985. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Colliers from 1977 to 2002 and as Chairman until December 2004. During his career, Mr. McLernon grew the company from a Vancouver business to a global enterprise in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. He also serves as a Chair of A&W Revenue Royalty Income Fund, Village Farms International, City Office REIT, and as a Director of Canadian Urban Ltd. He is Founding Chair of Streetohome Foundation which is striving to improve the lives of Vancouver homeless.
Icon: 2012 Recognized as an icon in the Canadian real estate industry, David Podmore, OBC, brings more than four decades of experience to Concert, the company he co-founded in 1989. David is Concert’s Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer. As a result of his leadership and vision, Concert has grown into one of Canada’s most reputable developers, committed to building a people-first future. He currently serves as Chair of INSPIRE, BCIT’s largest ever fundraising campaign, is a BC Ferries Corporation Board member, and sits on the Business Council of British Columbia’s Executive Committee. He previously served as Chair of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Foundation, President of the Urban Development Institute (Pacific Region), President of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, and Chair of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. David is the recipient of numerous community and professional awards including the first Award of Excellence granted by the Real Estate Institute of BC, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and in 2014 was invested to the Order of British Columbia.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
B11
AWARDS
ICONS HALL OF FAME keith beedie | Founding Chairman & CEO of Beedie Development
peeter wesik | Chair of Wesgroup Properties
Icon: 2013 Keith Beedie founded his namesake company based on the principles of uncompromising quality in construction, outstanding customer service, and loyalty to his employees. In early 1946, when he was just 19, he built his first concrete block building. From then on, he worked hard to grow Vancouver’s construction and development industry while establishing Beedie as a real estate leader in Canada. A lifelong philanthropist, Keith also oversaw the Keith and Betty Beedie Foundation, which endowed BCIT and SFU, among other local and global initiatives. The Foundation’s support for Burnaby Hospital includes a donation of $1,350,000 toward the purchase of an MRI unit and $8 million to build the Keith and Betty Beedie Pavilion as part of the hospital’s redevelopment.
Icon: 2015 Peeter Wesik is the Chair of Wesgroup Properties, a family real estate company, started over 50 years ago, with a diverse portfolio of commercial and residential real estate located mainly in Greater Vancouver. Peeter is also Chair of Wesgroup Equipment, a subsidiary of Wesgroup Properties, which is a full-service construction equipment and material handling distributor operating in 7 dealer locations throughout the Province of British Columbia. Peeter previously practiced law before becoming a full time business person and is a director of the Royal BC Museum.
natale ‘nat’ bosa | founder BOSA development
doug pearce | Founding CEO & CIO of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC)
Icon: 2016 Nat was born in Italy on Christmas Day, 1944 with congested lungs and not expected to survive. His father grabbed his best friend and headed to church with Baby Nat to have him baptised. After the service, his dad’s friend – now the godfather – put a drop of Grappa in Nat’s mouth. That single drop would trigger a violent cough that cleared his lungs, sending him roaring into the world. Nat belonged to a large, working-class farming family that joined the wave of post-war Italian immigrants who came to Canada. By 1958, twelve of the thirteen family members had settled in Vancouver. At 16, a restless Nat traded schoolbooks for a hammer, demonstrating he already embodied the ethos that would become the guiding principles of Bosa Development – think different, think big, think beyond. After working for various construction companies, Nat’s uncle coined the nickname “Nuts” when, in 1966, he turned down lucrative job offers to launch Bosa Brothers Construction with his brother Arturo. Initially building houses, they expanded under Nat’s leadership, cultivating a reputation of integrity, honesty and quality that made Bosa Brothers an industry leader in construction. In 1986, Bosa Brothers wound down and Nat founded Bosa Development, with a focus on real estate. Industry peers and reporters echoed his uncle’s sentiment, questioning his bold decisions and soundness of mind. However, proven right over and again, Nat’s intuition has transformed distressed real estate into vibrant, mixeduse communities and urban centres that thrive today. The earliest example, City Gate, gives Nat the most pride. Void of life after Expo ’86 and well before Vancouver’s condominium boom, Nat’s quote, “One day, living downtown will be fashionable,” rings prophetic. This multi-phased master-planned community includes mid- and high-rise residential, social housing, office, and retail. Located at Main Street SkyTrain Station, it is Vancouver’s first transit-oriented development. Nat’s visionary approach to real estate is credited for kick-starting stalled markets and creating new ones. Bosa Development’s ambitious expansion was instrumental in making Whistler a world class destination. In San Diego, Nat has been honoured with a leadership award for revitalization and growth. In Calgary, Bosa brought its vision of high-density residential to downtown. More recently, Bosa has reinvigorated languishing developments, including Civic Square in Seattle and Victoria’s Dockside Green. Then there’s the Empress Hotel, a historic landmark in Victoria that Nat and his wife Flora purchased in 2014. An extensive restoration returned the Empress to glory and captured headlines in the New York Times and around the world. Married 54 years, Flora is pivotal to Nat’s success. Together they raised four children and now enjoy eight grandchildren. Though private about their philanthropy, there are notable public examples of their giving, including The Nat and Flora Centre for Film and Animation at Capilano University, Monarch School for disadvantaged children in San Diego, and Lions Gate Hospital. Since picking up a hammer more than 60 years ago, Nat has created a legacy of integrity, hard work and commitment to community. These are the hallmarks of Nat Bosa.
Icon: 2018 Doug Pearce is the founding Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC). Doug led the organization from 1988 until he retired in June 2014 and during this time, the Victoria-based agency became an internationally recognized investor with a global portfolio valued at CAD$ 118.0 billion diversified across dozens of countries and many asset types. bcIMC (now BCi) invests on behalf of most public bodies in B.C., including public sector pension plans that finance the retirement benefits of more than 550,000 British Columbians. Real estate played an important role in diversifying bcIMC’s portfolio. Starting in the early 1990’s, bcIMC strategized and then built a global portfolio of high-quality office, industrial, retail, residential and mixed-use properties valued at CAD$ 19.8 billion in 2014. Also during that 20-year period, our firm developed 100+ Canadian properties. I am proud that bcIMC was a leader in environmentally-friendly buildings by upgrading older buildings to modern standards and aspiring to LEED Gold building expectations. Doug received his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary, and is an accredited director in the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). He lives in Kelowna BC and has a passion for skiing and biking.
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NAIOPVancouver
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