2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land - 57

Rob Spanier, president of the Spanier Group, moderated a panel titled
" Reimagining the Mall: The Final Urban Frontier, " which featured Rafael
Lazer, CEO of development company Almadev; Toby Wu, executive vice
president of QuadReal Property Group; Veronica Maggisano, vice president of
Oxford Properties Group; and Josh Thomson, senior vice president of Cadillac
Fairview.
Rob Spanier, Rafael Lazer, Toby Wu, Veronica Maggisano, Josh Thomson
The Mall's Metamorphosis: Toronto's Final Urban
Frontier
ThroughouT The Greater Toronto
Area, colossal structures stand as silent
reminders of a bygone era. These
are behemoths of concrete and steel,
vestiges of the city's past as well as
symbols of its struggle between preservation
and progress. They are shopping
malls, the once-bustling hubs of commerce
and community that are now
facing an uncertain future in light of
relentless urbanization and population
growth. But as the city evolves, so too
must these giants.
At the 2023 ULI Spring Meeting in
Toronto, industry leaders tackled this
very question during a session titled
" Reimagining the Mall: The Final Urban
Frontier. "
Embracing Neighborhoods and
Immigration
Moderator Rob Spanier, president of
the Spanier Group-a Toronto-based
provider of real estate development and
advisory services-and a seasoned real
estate professional, set the stage with a
poignant observation. He emphasized
the opportunity these projects present
" for people to embrace the neighborhoods
and communities they are in, " a
sentiment that would echo throughout
the panel's discussion.
Spanier noted that a significant factor
influencing the transformation of Toronto's
malls is immigration. This is driving
demand for housing and amenities, further
underscoring the need for the redevelopment
of these large-scale shopping
centers as mixed-use developments. The
city, however, is building only about 70
percent of the units required to accommodate
the incoming population.
A Developer's Perspective
Rafael Lazer, chief executive officer of
North York, Ontario-based development
company Almadev, offered a developer's
perspective, sharing his experience with
the Galleria Mall project.
" We took a different approach with
this, " he said, noting that his firm undertook
a long consultation process. " It
delayed us over a year, but it made the
next stage of our planning exercise go
seamlessly, with zero objections from
the area. " This approach underscores
the importance of community engagement
in shaping the future of these
spaces. The Galleria Mall project encompasses
eight residential buildings, more
than 3,000 residential units, a community
center, and an eight-acre (3.2 ha)
park.
The Cloverdale Mall
Transformation
Toby Wu, executive vice president of
Vancouver-based QuadReal Property
Group, highlighted the transformation
SUMMER 2023
URBAN LAND
57
ULI MEETING COVERAGE
ULI
2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Summer Issue of Urban Land
