In life, as in business, the pathway to success is rarely – if ever – a linear process.
Few can attest to this truth more than those in the development industry: hurdles at city hall, getting buy-in from residents or adapting to ever-changing market forces are constant daily realities. It stands to reason then that a 50-plus-year track record of success sets Cadillac Fairview (CF) as a leading industry pioneer.
To celebrate and highlight both past triumphs and a vision for the future, CF has launched a new podcast entitled, “CF City Views.”
Hosted by acclaimed city planner and advisor Brent Toderian, the podcast shares a deeper understanding and perspective of the steps the company takes to make community-building decisions that aim to positively impact urban life and shed light on the integral role CF has played in transforming the city.
“The podcast was created to provide an unusual and engaging resource for Vancouverites and tourists to learn about the special history of Vancouver city-building, as well as the historical and cultural impact that a development like CF Pacific Centre can have on shaping the city,” says Lilian Tummonds, VP of Office Operations at Cadillac Fairview.
“It can be used as a walking tour audio guide, perfect for either first-timers exploring the city or locals looking to learn about Vancouver’s redevelopment history through a different lens.”
Toderian is an internationally-renowned advisor to cities, governments and progressive developers on city planning, urban design, transportation and urban change. He founded TODERIAN UrbanWORKS in 2012 and is the former director of city planning for the City of Vancouver and the former/founding president of the Council For Canadian Urbanism.
A vocal champion for more livable, vibrant and sustainable cities, Toderian’s interviewees on the podcast include renowned architect James Chang, former Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association president and CEO Charles Gauthier, as well as key CF leaders.
Toderian is an internationally-renowned advisor to cities, governments and progressive developers. Photo via Brent Toderian.
Over three episodes, the podcast tells the story of downtown Vancouver community-building in three distinct eras, each corresponding with an episode, using interviews with professionals who were involved and drawing on Toderian’s city planning experience as host to ask the right questions and organize the discussion while adding observations.
The podcast also illustrates projects that can continue to be negotiated and evolve over time. The most striking example is the erasing of the “Great White Urinal,” the Sears Building at 725 Granville St., which saw the former Sears converted to 290,000 square feet of AAA class office space. This update attracted global brands like Nordstrom, Microsoft and Sony Imageworks, with a design that re-embraced the street.
“For each era, we tell the broader Vancouver story of what was happening while using the development of CF Pacific Centre as a special city-building case study to reveal the perspectives and struggles of that era,” Toderian explains. “By doing that, our episodes embrace Vancouver’s and CF’s shared history of city building.”
As a company and as professionals, CF understands that its actions strongly impact how people experience their day-to-day lives in Vancouver and the challenge to find the time in people's busy lives to stay informed and involved in proposals within their community.
“Ambitious cities set big clear visions, and Vancouver certainly did that in the eras we discuss. Good developers like CF see opportunity for success in those visions and the role ambitious projects can play in realizing them,” Toderian continues.
“But a powerful, successful project can end up inspiring the vision too, by producing something that even cities might not think they could achieve. I think our story is about a powerful city vision and an ambitious, visionary private sector project that really supported each other across eras of city building.”
As the largest commercial property owner in Metro Vancouver, CF’s diverse portfolio boasts more than four million square feet of retail and office space, including 12 office properties and two premier shopping centres: CF Pacific Centre and CF Richmond Centre.
This brings us to today - and the promise for a better, more livable tomorrow. Upcoming investments across the region include a 27-acre master-planned community at CF Richmond Centre that will transform the area into a thriving mixed-use community centre. Additionally, CF Pacific Centre Georgia Entrance is undergoing a redevelopment project that will replace the glass rotunda with an 18,000 sq. ft., two-storey pavilion retail building.
“We know that ambitious city-building starts with being good listeners and a real part of our communities,” says Tummonds. “We hope this podcast shows the human side of CF; one that demonstrates our commitment to transforming communities through past, present and into the future.”
If you'd like to listen and learn more about Vancouver's fascinating building history, the CF City Views podcast can be downloaded for free on your favourite podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud and Google Podcasts.
