#menkes developments

You’re not going to like this but summer is quickly coming to and end and fall will be here before you know it. It’s a good time to start planning how to prepare your home for fall and eventually winter. 

Cleaning your gutters is vitally important, especially later in the fall just before the first snowfall. Collected leaves and seed pods can block downspouts and lead to water back up that will eventually freeze and could allow water penetration into your home. Installing gutter covers or inserting gutter mesh will prevent debris build up and ensure proper drainage. Always be careful when using a ladder; this is usually a two-person job to ensure that your ladder is secure. 

Air leaks are a major source of heat loss during the winter months and checking around doors and windows for shrunken caulking is a good idea in the fall as the weather begins to dry out. Replacing caulking not only saves money but also spruces up the exterior of your home as cracked and missing caulking can be unsightly. 

Patching your driveway can be tedious and sometimes calling in a professional is better but ensuring cracks are filled before the winter freeze occurs is an important step in order to keep your driveway looking great. Cracks allow water to seep in and, upon freezing, cause your driveway to heave or crack further. Patching the driveway and then sealing it is your best bet for a beautiful driveway.  

Finally, staying warm and properly humidified over the winter months is important and ensuring your furnace and humidifier are in good working order should be on the top of your fall “to do” list. If you haven’t done so already, you should replace your furnace filter and the filter in your humidifier. If you have lifetime filters, make sure to clean and sanitize them well. It’s also a good time to have a professional inspect your furnace before turning it on. For a nominal fee they’ll go over all the important parts of the furnace so they chances of them failing during the colder months is greatly reduced. If you use a fireplace to heat parts of your home, ensure that the chimney has been cleaned of soot and other debris.

In an ongoing commitment to green home building, our homes in the Enclaves of Upper Canada community in Georgetown are being built to ENERGY STAR® standards and, in many cases, exceeding these standards.

Menkes engaged a third-party company to perform tests on the homes and have been achieving an energy rating and testing results that are 20% better than code (SB12-2012), something the company is very pleased about.

“We’re really proud to be building ENERGY STAR® homes,” said Steven Menkes, President of the Low-Rise Residential division at Menkes.  “The ENERGY STAR® label guarantees that when our homeowners make what may be the biggest purchases of their lives, they are not only buying homes that are both well-built and will save them money, but also decreasing their impact on the environment.”

Green features include R50 attic insulation, R31 sprayed in foam for garage ceilings, sealed ductwork joints, high efficiency HRV, drain water heat recovery systems, and excel structural insulated sheathing to name a few.

In order to familiarize their homeowners with all the green features of their new homes, Menkes held an information session to detail these features, explain their function and answer any questions homeowners had about their new home and the energy-saving products that were installed. “We were very pleased to have had the opportunity to learn more about our new home and these features.” said one homeowner. “It’s one thing to see them written on paper but it’s another thing to actually learn what they do and have the benefits explained in detail.”

The Enclaves of Upper Canada offers a wide selection of home designs.  The elevations are inspired by Georgian architecture through the symmetry of windows and use of French architectural bell curve roof flares.  Exterior materials combine stucco, stone & brick with a careful selection of colour palettes, creating a harmonious streetscape for the community.

The newly released 40’ Enclaves Collection of homes at The Enclaves come with an upscale array of standard features, including; 9ft. ceilings on the main floor, tray ceilings in the master bedroom, gourmet kitchens with extended height uppers and granite counters, natural gas fireplace with white painted mantle and marble surround, and oak staircases from the first to second floor with upgraded pickets.

Menkes has a large and robust portfolio of commercial developments that we both own and manage with 25 York Street being one of the most high-profile. With it South Core Toronto location and close proximity to Union Station, Air Canada Centre and the waterfront, this bustling hub and head office location of Telus is a busy place and it takes a coordinated group of people to manage it with one of them being Taryn Kelly.

Q: What is your role at Menkes Developments?

A: Junior Property Manager at 25 York Street

Q: Can you describe your typical day at Menkes? 

A:  No two days are ever the same; I meet face to face with Tenants, contractors and consultants on a daily basis. I liaise routinely with the accounting department at Head Office and I’m involved in all of our annual budget reporting. I work closely with the leasing team to conduct building tours for prospective tenants and I work directly with building staff including parking, security, fire + life safety, cleaning and landscaping crews to ensure everything is operating smoothly. Additionally I assist with planning and organizing the charitable and entertainment events that take place in this very busy and bustling building.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

This age-old question has been bantered about for decades and it’s a fair question to ask but not a simple question to answer. The bottom line is that it all comes down to where you're at in your life and where you see yourself in the immediate future or further down the road.

When it comes to price, we know that pre-construction pricing is often better and less expensive when a project first opens. A less expensive price is often an attractive feature, especially to first-time buyers who need to stretch a dollar every chance they can get however patience is a virtue when buying pre-construction. It can take years for the project to be completed; often 2 or 3 years and sometimes more depending on weather delays, strikes, permitting issues, etc. If you have the time to wait and aren't in a rush, this is the perfect opportunity for you. It also gives you time to get to know the neighbourhood before moving in and finding that perfect spot to eat. If you already own a house or condo and are buying pre-construction, it gives you the time to do all the necessary things you need to do in order to sell your current location including de-cluttering, minor repairs or a larger scale renovation that will increase the value of your house significantly.

If you’re buying an inventory unit, the main benefit is a fast closing and the ability to move in far sooner than when purchasing pre-construction. You also have the added benefit of being able to visually see the space and walk around instead of only being able to see floor plans. Visualizing where to place your furniture and what items you’ll need to purge before moving is another plus to buying an inventory home. Additionally the hard work is done for you when it comes to picking colours or going through the initial minor repair stages. Essentially, if you’re looking to move in and unwind, an inventory home may be your best bet despite not being able to get the same lower price on a pre-construction home.

With great fanfare and media coverage, Menkes Developments, Waterfront Toronto and political dignitaries from all levels of government announced the new Waterfront Innovation Centre to be built by sugar beach. 

"This complex will offer a cutting-edge, collaborative work environment that responds to the changing needs of the workplace and the demand for high quality office space supported by fast and cost-effective technology infrastructure." said Peter Menkes, President of the Commercial/Industrial Division at Menkes. "It is a one-of-a-kind commercial office development that will redefine how innovative, market-leading companies conduct their business in our city."

Viewing the Waterfront Innovation Centre from a northern perspective with Queens Quay in the foreground, the 4 components of the complex are highlighted in different colours. At the base of the complex is street level retail space (shaded in orange), which will serve both the needs of the tenants above and surrounding community, and contribute to the vibrancy of the streetlife along Queens Quay.

Shaded in red, the Exchange is the western-most block of the complex with a very striking shape and façade. The vision for this portion of the complex includes state-of-the-art meeting, presentation, interactive learning, conference, and restaurant facilities that can be accessed by all of the tenants. It is highly unusual for a complex to offer these resources to companies that inhabit them, and this represents a significant benefit for smaller organizations that would otherwise not have access to these amenities. The vision also includes the ability for external organizations to access the unique, world-class services which further differentiates this project from others in the city.

The next component is the Hive, which is the eastern-most block of the complex shaded in blue. This is the private office space that will be leased to tenants. The Hive will offer efficient, flexible, 30,000 square foot floorplates that can easily be configured to meet the needs of growing companies. We will have a raised floor system that allows tenants to plug in power, data and cabling at any location on the floor with no impediments. And for employees, the space is designed to allow for more natural light and better air quality, which will enhance their health and productivity.

The last component is the Nexus, which is shaded in yellow. The Nexus is the atrium that extends through the complex both vertically and horizontally, and effectively will serve as a public link between the Exchange and the Hive. The driving principle behind the Nexus is that social interaction is vital to fostering networking, collaboration and ultimately innovation. With this in mind, the Nexus will provide informal spaces and retail services that draw people together.

"Our commercial division has built over 25 million square feet of office and industrial space in the GTA with an ongoing dedication to sustainable green building development and management." said Menkes. "We kickstarted development in the new South Core community adjacent to Union Station with the LEED Platinum Telus House at 25 York Street and are currently building Sun Life’s new headquarters at 1 York Street which is also targeting LEED Platinum status."

The Waterfront Innovation Centre will be the gateway to Waterfront Toronto’s grand vision for the East Bayfront community. Being located on a revitalized waterfront, adjacent to Canada’s Sugar Beach, and with the Corus building, George Brown College, and numerous new condominium towers as its neighbours, the Waterfront Innovation Centre will be part of an exciting, mixed-used community. By 2021, it’s estimated that an additional 20,000 new residents will be living within half a mile of this site. And with the completion of the new Queens Quay LRT, this area will be a first class location and even more accessible.

All of these elements are very attractive to companies looking for office space. In today’s business world, employees want to be located in the heart of the action, and not outside of it. The geographical separation between workplaces, residences and leisure activities are blurred. People want to be in fully-integrated, true mixed-use, live-work-play communities, and the East Bayfront fits the bill perfectly.

On February 21st, the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation held the 26th annual Dragon Ball at the Allstream Centre in Toronto in support of the Yee Hong Centres for Geriatric Care and Menkes Developments was pleased once again to be a Dragon Sponsor for the evening’s festivities.

This is the fifth year of Menkes’ involvement with this very important fundraising event and demonstrates the company’s commitment to the well-being and care of those who need and use Yee Hong’s services. “We are very pleased to continue our involvement with this very worthy cause”, said Jared Menkes, Vice President, High Rise Residential at Menkes. “The services that the Yee Hong Foundation provides to members of the community is unparalleled and we are very excited to be a part of this event for the fifth year in a row.”

The 2015 gala also marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first Yee Hong Centre which has helped seniors lead dignified, independent and fulfilling lives. Yee Hong now serves over 3,000 seniors across the GTA on a daily basis and fulfills 200,000 service requests every year.

“We have a strong relationship with the Chinese community across the GTA and being a part of Dragon Ball 2015 is very important to us”, said Mimi Ng, Vice President, Residential Sales and Marketing. “Attending the Dragon Ball and being part of the festivities of the evening is a highlight and we are very much looking forward to it.”

Highlights from the 2015 gala included Michelin star Chef Lai Wai Hung of Ah Hung’s Delicacies from Hong Kong and will featured his award winning “lo shui” (marinated) Chinese dishes at the cocktail reception; 3 Michelin star Chef Alvin Leung of Bo Innovation from Hong Kong as well, together with Canadian culinary reality show winner, Eric Chong, executed a delicious 4-course gala dinner. Finally, Canada’s Queen of R & B music and Juno award recipient, Jully Black, brought the house down as the featured gala performer.

Located in the heart of North York City Centre, Gibson Square is situated at the corner of Yonge Street and Park Home Avenue. The project features two soaring 42-storey glass towers, which will have direct underground access to North York Centre subway station and Empress Walk Shopping Centre.

With the end of its construction period fast approaching, the collection of ultra-luxurious penthouse residences is available and ready for its close-up.  

“2014 was a great year for our company,” says Jared Menkes, Vice-President of the High-Rise Residential Division at Menkes. “Buyers responded favourably to our developments across the Greater Toronto Area, including continuing to support Gibson Square as we move towards finishing its construction.  We’re very excited to offer our special collection of luxury penthouse units to the market.”

The penthouse suites, located on floors 35-42, are generously-sized and range from 1,288 square feet to an impressive 1,926 square feet, with spacious two-bedroom plus den and two-bedroom plus family room layouts. All of the plans feature large balconies, while select units also include expansive terraces, offering stunning panoramic views overlooking North York and the Toronto city skyline. Prices for this exclusive penthouse collection range from $875,990 to $1,350,990.

“The penthouse suites are the finishing touch to Gibson Square,” says Jared Menkes, “These suites are designed for buyers who want the convenience of condo life, as well as the luxury of spacious living quarters.”

Designed by Bryon Patton and Associates, the penthouse suite interiors feature superior quality materials and finishes. Suites will feature 9’ceiling heights, floor-to-ceiling thermally insulated windows and plank laminate floating flooring in principal rooms. Kitchens will boast a choice of custom designer cabinetry in stylish colours, polished granite countertops with elegant mosaic tile backsplash and contemporary stainless steel appliances.

At Gibson Square, residents are surrounded by the best of city living, including a multitude of cafés, restaurants, bistros and food emporiums, as well as boutiques for great shopping, and green parks. Plus, with direct underground access from the building to the North York Centre subway station, residents will not have to go outside to catch subway service to downtown Toronto.

As much as the neighbourhood has to offer, residents at Gibson Square will enjoy staying in just as much as going out. The project offers an extensive array of phenomenal, beautifully designed amenities, including over 20,000 square feet of recreational and entertainment areas. Condo residents can entertain guests in the two separate party rooms, the theatre room with surround sound, or the lush private outdoor roof garden. 

Amenities include a spa-inspired indoor swimming pool with high ceilings and expansive windows overlooking Yonge Street, and a large fully-equipped fitness centre complete with weight room and a cardio, aerobics and yoga studio, a 24-hour concierge service that welcomes each and every visitor to the building in the beautiful 2-storey lobby, two separate party rooms with full kitchens, a theatre room with surround sound and a lush, private outdoor roof garden.

“We are proud to say that we’ve played a vital role in building the North York neighbourhood, working with both the former City of North York and Mayor Mel Lastman.” says Jared Menkes. “With the completion of Gibson Square this year, North York City Centre will continue to grow and thrive as one of the best places in the city to live, work and play.”