Naama Blonder

Featured in: Favicon

torontolife.com Favicon

livabl.com Favicon

buzzbuzzhome.com Favicon

storeys.com Favicon

renx.ca

oakvillenews.org

Articles

Ontario the lone province to see lower construction costs

1 month ago | renx.ca | Steve McLean |Naama Blonder |Don Wilcox

Colin Doran, Altus Group head of development advisory for the Americas. (Courtesy Altus Group)Construction costs remain elevated across Canada following pandemic-related supply chain disruptions that sent prices soaring, but slowing activity in Ontario has allowed that province to buck the ongoing national trend. Construction costs are influenced by both global and local economic conditions, market trends and advances in building materials, practices and methods.
Government-owned land: An opportunity we can’t afford to miss

Dec 11, 2024 | renx.ca | Naama Blonder |Steve McLean |Shaun Schwartz |Danny Kucharsky

In cities across Canada, government-owned land represents an immense, untapped opportunity to deliver much-needed housing, and much more than that. These lands, often located in prime areas near transit and job centres, could be the foundation for creating neighbourhoods that address our housing crisis, climate challenges and the need for vibrant, connected communities. However, realizing this potential is far from simple.
5 Housing and Urban Initiatives From 2024 To Watch For In 2025

Dec 10, 2024 | storeys.com | Naama Blonder

Toronto’s real estate industry faced big challenges and, at the same time, made important progress in 2024. As the year ends, it’s a good time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. There are reasons to be hopeful — new policies were approved, and there has been more focus than ever on housing affordability, better land use planning, and partnerships between the public and private sectors. Here is a look at the key changes in 2024 that could lead, hopefully, to a better 2025.
My Condolences, Toronto: Your Downtown is Dead

Dec 2, 2024 | storeys.com | Naama Blonder

Once upon a time (at least in the past decade I have been living in Toronto), Toronto’s downtown was a thriving hub — filled with workers and pedestrians, and alive with the energy that only a dense, vibrant urban core can bring. In fact, in every other North American city I have visited, I was filled with pride and joy knowing my home is Toronto. Today, it feels like a shadow of its former self.
New investor group buying 3 Calgary apartment properties for $87.5M

Nov 5, 2024 | renx.ca | Danny Kucharsky |Steve McLean |Naama Blonder

The former president of Boardwalk REIT and current CEO of Nexus Industrial REIT are among a group of investors who will spend the equivalent of $87.5 million in cash and shares to purchase three class-A multifamily properties in Calgary comprising 149 units. Capital pool company Trillium Acquisition Corp. will pay $17 million in cash and 94.8 million in common shares to acquire:Nimmons Residences, an 84-unit apartment building at 1420 19 Ave.
InterRent, Crestpoint buy Montreal's Alba apartments for $107M

Nov 5, 2024 | renx.ca | Danny Kucharsky |Steve McLean |Naama Blonder

InterRent REIT and Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd. have acquired Alba, a 248-unit apartment building at 170 Rene-Levesque Blvd. E. in downtown Montreal, for $107 million from developer Mondev and Hillpark Capital. “This is one of the most significant single-asset, multires sales in many years in Montreal,” Scott Speirs, vice-chairman and practice lead for CBRE Montreal’s national investment team, told RENX.
Long live the new architect

Nov 4, 2024 | renx.ca | Naama Blonder |Steve McLean |Christine H. Wong |Mario Toneguzzi

Many professions evolve over a generation, but few have undergone a transformation as profound as that of architects. For centuries, architects used their skills to create spaces that captured culture and ambition — grand libraries, museums and hyper-tall buildings. But today, architects are called to take on challenges that may seem less glamorous, but are far more impactful.
Crestpoint rebrands121 King St. W. office building Roserock Place

Nov 4, 2024 | renx.ca | Steve McLean |Naama Blonder |Mario Toneguzzi |Christine H. Wong

Crestpoint Real Estate Investments Ltd. has revamped its office building at 121 King St. W. in downtown Toronto and renamed it Roserock Place in an effort to give it more of an identity. The 40-year-old, 25-storey, 540,000-square-foot building was acquired by Crestpoint and an institutional partner for just under $380 million in 2022, Crestpoint executive vice-president and head of asset management Max Rosenfeld told RENX.
I Watched ‘Ada - My Mother The Architect,’ As A Mother And An Architect

Oct 28, 2024 | storeys.com | Naama Blonder

The Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF), which I attend every year, was in Toronto this past weekend, showcasing films that explore how architecture and design shape our lives and cities. Watching 'Ada – My Mother the Architect' at the ADFF affected me on multiple levels — as an architect, a mother, and a born-and-raised Israeli.
Morguard acquires 20% interest in Vancouver’s Telus Garden tower

Oct 10, 2024 | renx.ca | Tyler Choi |Evan Duggan |Naama Blonder |Christine H. Wong

Morguard Corporation (MRC-T) has acquired a 20 per cent interest in the Telus Garden office building at 510 West Georgia and 541 Robson St. in Vancouver, adding to its assets in British Columbia. Completed in 2016, the 557,255-square-foot, 24-storey tower is owned and operated by Canadian pension fund investors and real estate fund managers, with Morguard as the building’s property manager, according to its website.