Brandon Donnelly — Daily insights for city builders. Published since 2013 by Toronto-based real estate developer Brandon Donnelly. — Page 173

Earlier this month, a group of Canadian founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders launched a new and important platform called Build Canada . The idea is simple. Every week, an experienced entrepreneur will publish a policy proposal that includes an issue that our country is facing and then a precise policy solution . And if you happen to agree with the recommendations being put forward, there's an easy way for you to send it directly to your MP.

Here's their " about " page:

Dear Fellow Canadians,

Canada should be the world’s richest country. But for decades, small thinking, bureaucratic inertia, and special interests have kept us from realizing our potential.

The world is changing quickly. Technology, communication, geopolitics, and culture are shifting. If we don’t change with it our moment will slip away. We can’t afford excuses anymore. Canada must break free from the mindset of “this is how things are done”. It’s time to act differently.

Build Canada is a platform of bold ideas for growth, innovation, and prosperity.

Every policy is proposed by successful Canadian entrepreneurs with deep knowledge from building in the relevant areas. We’re supported by policy experts with experience in government. Our singular focus is a Canada where people build again.

That includes:

• Selling more Canadian products and resources around the world

• Changes to boost productivity and competitiveness

• Developing a culture that celebrates freedom and ambition

• New ways to deliver better services at lower costs

• Tax reforms that drive innovation and investment

We all know that our country could be so much more than it is. We have the land, the talent, the know-how, and the energy to be the most abundant nation on earth. And our people have a spirit that could take them anywhere they wanted to go.

Let's build the Canada you know is possible.

Not every entrepreneur has to agree with every other proposal on site, but that's partially the point, not to dilute things down. It's about creating real dialogue, urging meaningful change, and creating a more prosperous Canada. A fundamental rethink of the status quo has been needed in this country for as long as I can remember. And with all of the geopolitical uncertainty happening in the world today, it has only become more critical to build Canada .

Cover photo by Tom Carnegie on Unsplash

Yesterday, February 28, 2025, the team installed the first piece of unitized curtain wall at One Delisle (on level two facing the outdoor amenity terrace and beside the indoor pool). Last year I was going around telling everyone that we would have glass up on the building in the first quarter of this year, and so I'm really glad that I was not made out to be a liar. Thanks team. This is a milestone date.

For those of you who maybe aren't familiar, there are two types of window systems that are commonly used in high-rise residential buildings. They are usually referred to as window wall and curtain wall. The former is more common in Toronto because it's, well, the cheapest; but there are curtain wall buildings other than One Delisle. Sometimes the same building might also use both systems. (In saying this, I'm specifically referring to the upper floors, because curtain wall is often used for ground-floor commercial spaces.)

The key difference is that window wall systems sit between floor slabs and get anchored at the sill and the head (the top of the slab on the bottom and the bottom of the slab on the top). Curtain wall systems, on the other hand, get anchored to the exterior slab edges and also "bypass" them. You can see that in the above photo. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems, but generally speaking, curtain wall is viewed as higher quality, and the more expensive option.

In the case of One Delisle, we explored and were open to both options during the design process. But ultimately window wall just didn't seem like the right system to realize the unique geometries of this building. So we went with curtain wall, worked through a lengthy design-assist process with the subcontractor, built a bunch of mockups to make sure everything looked and worked well, and now it's being installed on site.

Level two is likely going to be the most challenging floor because of the double-height pool area. So I'll be sure to share more photos once it's all enclosed.

Nowhere in the US are apartment rents declining as fast as they have in Austin. Average rents are down 22% from their August 2023 peak. This is according to Bloomberg . What seems to have happened is this: Lots of people started moving to Austin during the pandemic, rents jumped up dramatically, and so the city enacted policies to encourage more housing supply. Developers responded as they do and, between 2023-2024, well over 50,000 apartment suites were completed in the city. Now landlords have very little leverage in the market, and so rents are naturally dropping. It all makes perfect sense, but I will say that I'm surprised by the chronology. Apartment rents jumped 25% in 2021, there was a pro-development policy response, and then increased supply started flooding the market in 2023. How? Then again, Yahoo Finance is reporting that "builders [in Austin] typically take two years to go from buying land to welcoming tenants." That's development magic and I'd like some of it.

Cover photo by Carlos Alfonso on Unsplash