Practical Solutions for Office to Residential Conversions

Gensler and EllisDon are working together to leverage Gensler’s expertise with office to residential evaluation and execution, combined with EllisDon’s unparalleled knowledge of construction across Canada, to eliminate barriers to office to residential conversions. Join us to hear from a panel of experts to bring you the most current information from those who are currently designing, building, and operating office to residential conversions. We will address common questions and concerns, presenting lessons learned from successful case stories, reviewing the current policy context, and showing our research to address upfront feasibility assessments.

Tuesday, March 19 4:00pm - 6:00pm 150 King St. W., Suite 1400

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Moderator

Jody Becker, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP Infrastructure Services & Technology, EllisDon

As Chief Strategy Officer, Jody oversees strategic planning for EllisDon. She works directly with EllisDon’s CEO and Board of Directors to forecast areas of growth and develop execution plans. Jody oversees EllisDon’s international operations as well as the Infrastructure Services & Technology division, which includes Facilities Services; Transit Services; Energy and Digital Services; Furniture, Equipment and Design; Project Advisory & Management; and Sustainable Building Solutions. As part of EllisDon’s executive leadership team, Jody’s mandate is to transform EllisDon’s business into the most technologically advanced and environmentally responsible construction services company.
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Panelists

Joey Chilelli, Managing Director, Vanbarton Group LLC

Joey is a Managing Director of Vanbarton Group, where he oversees the asset management of office, multifamily, and mixed-use assets. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, Joey served as a senior associate at East River Partners, a multifamily-focused real estate private equity company, where he oversaw acquisitions and asset management of a multi-state multifamily portfolio. Joey also was a Director of Project Management at Sugar Hill Capital Partners, a multifamily-focused real estate private equity company, where he oversaw the redevelopment of multifamily and condominium assets in New York City. Joey received his B.A. from Northern Kentucky University, a M.B.A in finance from Xavier University, and a M.S.R.E.D. from Columbia University.

Councillor Brad Bradford, City of Toronto, Ward 19-Beaches-East York

Brad Bradford is the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches—East York. Brad believes that as our city grows and prospers, we must work hard to ensure the benefits are felt by everyone. By bringing a pragmatic, energetic, and results-focused approach to local government, Brad supports community-led change throughout Beaches East-York. Brad serves as the Vice-Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC), the Toronto Arts Council, the Toronto Parking Authority, the CreateTO Board, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board of Directors. With experience as an urban planner, he has a passion for tackling our housing crisis, strengthening local neighbourhoods, and building a safer, more affordable city that’s easier to get around. 

​​​​Steven Paynter, Global Leader, Building Transformation + Adaptive Reuse, Gensler

Steven is an architect and a Principal at Gensler. He is widely recognized as an industry leader and speaks on topics such as unlocking the value of Class B & C buildings by converting them to residential, shaping the future of cities, and design of post-pandemic office buildings. He led the development of an algorithm to assess buildings’ suitability for office to residential conversions, which to date has analyzed over 1,000 buildings in North America. Steven was selected by Business Insider as one of their Top 100 People Transforming Business in 2022, and his work and leadership have been featured in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CBC News, BBC News, South China Morning Post, PBS, CNBC, Daily Mail UK, Canadian Press, RTE, and Architectural Record. He is an active member of the OAA, ULI, and CoreNet Global.

Travis Perry, Senior Director, Project Development, EllisDon

As the Senior Director, Project Development at EllisDon, Travis oversees all projects from the pursuit and award phase, through to pre-construction and execution. He has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining critical business relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers, solidifying EllisDon as a key contributor to the Calgary construction market. Travis has a comprehensive understanding of owner requirements and offers creative and innovative constructability and value engineering solutions to both renovation and new construction projects. He combines his leadership skills with a comprehensive understanding of construction, working collaboratively with the project team to successfully deliver great results and to build and maintain relationships.