Canadian real estate developer CD Capital recently announced that it has officially changed its name to Capital Developments. The move reflects the company’s corporate rebranding strategy that aims to highlight its 25 years of development experience and success in partnering with industry peers.
BuzzBuzzHome News spoke to Todd Cowan, co-founder of Capital Developments, to learn more about the company, the reasons behind the name change and their current projects.
Todd Cowan and business partner Jordan Dermer founded CD Capital in 2007 after spending 10 years in Europe where they played an integral role in establishing TriGranit Development Corporation on behalf of Canadian businessman and philanthropist Peter Munk. At that time in the mid-90s there was a huge demand for modern commercial and retail spaces in Central and Eastern Europe.
“When we got there there were no shopping centres, but there was a population of 500 million people that were desperate for retail, they were desperate for great stores,” said Cowan.
“In addition, companies like Vodafone, Morgan Stanley and others, all wanted to set up businesses there but there were no office buildings to put the people in, so we had a once in a lifetime opportunity to fulfill a huge demand when there was no supply.”
During their 10 years in Europe, Cowan and Dermer gained extensive development experience and built an impressive portfolio of major mixed use projects in 12 countries throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
The duo returned to Canada in 2006 after selling a large portion of TriGranit to an international investor and used that capital and their experience to establish CD Capital. Since 2007, the partners have focused on unique commercial and residential real estate opportunities in Toronto and Montreal including condominiums, urban retail projects and Class A office space.
In June 2015, CD Capital launched a corporate rebranding strategy that saw the company’s name change to Capital Developments.
“People know us as being a company that has a very strong financial backing, but what was missing was the fact that we have 25 years of development experience building these award-winning projects,” explained Cowan.
“By bringing Capital and Developments together we think it tells the whole story of a company with not only a really strong capital base, but also tremendous development experience, so we feel that Capital Developments is a name that we could build on in the future.”
Cowan also hopes the rebranding will help define who they are as a company. A company where people and relationships come first.
“That’s the core of our business. Relationships matter and although we build some of the most well thought out and design forward buildings, it’s really the relationships that we have and that we want to build on, that really differentiate us from other developers in Canada,” said Cowan.
The 34-storey tower is being developed by Capital Developments in partnership with another Toronto-based developer, Freed. The development features architecture by Peter Clews of architectsAlliance, interiors by renowned interior design team Cecconi Simone and lobbies by fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld.
“I can’t say enough about these organizations,” said Cowan. “It’s incredible what they do and to overlay on top of that we decided to do something very special and once in a lifetime — we brought Karl Lagerfeld to Toronto to design the two lobbies.”
“We have the opportunity to redefine the Yonge and Eglinton residential neighbourhood,” Cowan explained. “It’s a huge community, very dense population, a lot of older residential buildings, and a lot of new condominiums, so we have the opportunity to really be the centrepiece of that neighbourhood.”
The vibrant neighbourhood is already bustling with activity, given the scores of shops, restaurants and other entertainment and service venues in the area. It’s also a major transportation hub with the Yonge-University subway line running through it and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT now under construction.
“The Redpath Diner is going to be a centrepiece in the community to bring people together,” said Cowan. “And as a resident, you’ll have the opportunity to order room service 24 hours a day or be on the rooftop pool and order lunch or a drink.”
Capital Development has high hopes for the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood and, with investments in new and existing infrastructure coupled with a growing population, Cowan and Dermer believe it will become the new midtown of Toronto.
“Obviously we’re big believers in the area. We’ve got almost 2,000 condo units being developed between these three towers and we’re planning more so we’re really taking a long term deal on that neighbourhood,” said Cowan.
To learn more about Capital Developments, visit capitaldevelopments.com.
For more information about 150 Redpath, visit www.redpathcondos.com or email sales@redpathcondos.com. For more information about Art Shoppe Lofts + Condos contact 416 487 7373 or info@artshoppecondos.com.
