WEITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1990, PAGE 13 Permis is.sued for $230-mnIllion worth of construction in '89 The Town cf Whitby publie works department released the 1989 building permit report last week, and the figures confirmed that it ws aother big year for construction in Whitby. The report detailed flot only the figures for December but aise an overali assessment for 1989. Permnits in December alone totalled over $23-million with 73 per cent cf those being residen- tial permits and 15-per cent being institutienal permits. That total would have been even higher if McGraw-Hfill had received thefr $18-million permit before the end'cf the year. But the permit represents a hugfe start to the 1990O year forthe municipality. The value of industrial permits as a whole has dropped consider- ably from $26,584,895 in 1988 to, $15,904,960 in 1989, whereas the number cf permits issued has actually increaaed from 79 in 1988 to 108 i 1989. The value cf the permits issued as of Dec. 31 showed a marked increase over 1988 figures. The total for 1989 was $230,684 450, compared te $205,296,1Ã61 for, the samie period mn 1988. There were 1j358 re idential permts isuei4 189,actually a drop fom 88 fig.ijes cf 1,488. But the iues show a greater varietyà o homes being ,Built in Whiby ast year than previously _ Mayor Bob Attersley, corn- nýentmg on the report, said ho wps pleased with the overal resulta and feit that Whitby has kept up the pace with steady prggress. Attersley said that thp year started off very islowly but definitely picked up later on, se much so, that the overail assess- ment growth for 1989 was 12.36- per cent higher than 1988. The mayor was also glad to see "mnore variable-priced housing" become available ini Whitby over the previous year., Planning needed to minm ize -condo risksm First home buyers should lower expectations, says trust company officiai New home buyers must lower their expectations or rnove away from Toronto if they want te buy their first honie, says a trust company cicial. ..Ytoung people have their sights set toc high today. Owning a bouse is net a right. It's sometbing you earn," says Cbuck Mcflravey, 2yice-president cf lending* for the * Confederation Trust Company. Mcflravey, along witb other panelists, spoke recently about the lender's rôle in affordable beusing at the 1989 Home Building (Conference and Exhibition, Building Strategies for the. '90s sponsored by the Toronto Home Builders' Association. If prospective home buyers want te stay in Toronto they must consider renting townhomes and condominiums, says Mcflravey. If they want te own a house, however, they must move te cemmunities such as Barrie where bousing costs are lower. 1-High mortgage rates is not the reason why there's*ne affordable housing in Toronto," says :hl Braid, general manager of mortgages for the Toronto Dominion Bank. Instead, ho says the cost of homes is the main problein. teInexpensive housing is liniited and the demand for it is higb," ho explains. In the last five years housing prices have tripled, but mortgage rates have fallen one per cent, ho adds. "Affordable bousing in the '90s must come from cost-effective production cf housing units," says Deug Campbell, vice-president of mortgages for London Life. Fim recommiended to build fire station By Scott Laurie Thie flrm cf Thomas Brown Architecture was recommended te design and supervise the con- struction cf the fire department's new headquarters building at last Monda/s operations coin- mittee meeting. The Toronto-based firm was chosen by a selection romrittee from ameng six firma who expressed interest in the $150,000 contract for the build- ig te ho located on Taunton Rd. The salection committea, which consisted cf representatives fromn the planning department, the publie works department, the firfihtes'associaton and h fe deatent's plan review dvision, was established te interview the fims and make their recommendation. Ail those firma interviewed had some involvement with lire hall designs. The degrea cf ex perience varied greatiy among the appli- cants as did recent or present involvement" in fire station design. But Thomas Brown Architec- ture was recommended because cf its involvement in 27 fire- related buildings and it was the only firm with experience in the construction cf a decontarnina- tien area. The flrm cornes highly recom- mended by referenoes that ware contacted and because the firmn is amail the committee believes that ti6' could ho baneficial aince prompt and parsonal attention might ho given te the Wihitby preject. According te deputy fire chief Tony Van Ioleweerd, the cern- pany was able te provide quotas on request and their lO-per cent architectural fees were compar- able. "This company gave us definite answers,» ho aaid. Mayor says developers must give more Location will be' replaced ýby planning as a key consideration in the future condominium mar- ket as builders become foroed to minimize risks in a more cern- petitive; buyer-drivennmarket, say experts. "The way te minimize risk is to plan," says Hunter Milborne piresident cf Milborne Real Estate Corporations. «If some- thing is planned jproperly it totall'y minmizes risk.» The lengthy approval process and the critical stage cf market- ing and selling are two factors which have joined fmancing and construction as imiportant plan- ning components. Those four fac- tors must be considered in detail for a condominium project te succeed, ho says. Milborne made hie commente as a condominiumpanel partici- pant at the 1989 Home Building Conference, Building Strategies for the '90sZ held recently by the Toronto Home Builders' Associa- tien. Minimizing risk will be more important than ever in the '90s as the market will be marked by increased competition and chang. ing buyer. behavior, says Deug Wilson, vice-president cf sales and marketing, Bramalea Ltd. Supply will exceed demand, ho says, making the buy or the new «condo king» who will insist upon quality. "The customer will b askin~ 'What have you done, for me' You must be market-driven. You muet be driven te excellence because this is what the mnarket wants,» says Wilson. Excellence is net enly quality cf product, ho says, it ls quality cf service as well. Offering both will set a comgany apart fromn the «aise rans, whiceh will be necessary in a competitive con- dominium market. Offerinff excellent service will be the responsibulity cf a well- trained salesperson, says AI DeCastro, marketing 'nd sales manager of the PMA Gup. Te ability t) convey the advantages cf condominium life «las bcme a real art,"»lhe says, an art which must continue te attract buyers. However, the salesperson must bo more than a seller. Ho or she must me able te raassure the new buyer and must be qualified te effectively manage a foilow-up' customer prograin, says DeCas- tro. Niche marketing and "brand- ing" are aise, ways cf ensuring a maret, if weil pianned and pro- perly uilized, says Wilson. They lend istant consumer recegni- tien" te projects, an awareness which is invaluable. Minimizing risks i the predic- ted soffer market cf the 1990s should talce p lace at the incep- tien and aIl the way through an entire project, says Avil Lister general manager cf Rosa Lloyd Martin Enterprises. "'Determine ahl planning requirements and establish rea- listic time frames from the begin- ning,» says Liâster. Unrealitic production sche- dules and a reluctance te phase produet sales lead te toc many problems i a market where con- struction prices change faster than condominium are sold, she saLys. Selling condominiums on a phased basis allows the develo- per the freedorn te adust prices as costs cf the project change. Also important, says Lister, is the reviewing proceas by lawyers. Litigation in con- dominium sales are becomig commonplaoe because developers are net pushing for careful reviews by their lawyers. Reviewing will become espe- cially important, she says, with the implementation cf the new goods and services tax in 1991. Developers should put more resources inte amaller cemmuni- ties after they build thora, says the mayor of East Gwillimbury. «Developers will have te give an awful lot more than what they offer iitially if they want te buiid in East Gwillimbuipy (mat west cf Newmarket) , says Mayorý Robert Featherstonaugh. Ho believes it's net sufficient te provide enly water and sewers for a developinent. He aays deve- lopers shculd build achocîs or recreation centres for the in- craased population. Featherstonaugh and other panelista diacussed building out- aide cf Metro Toronto at the 1989 Home Building Conference and Exhidbition, Building Strategies for the 490s, held recently by the Toronto Home Builders' Associa- tien. .Michael Wilson, senior vice- president and generai manager cf Stelp Homes, says the target market cf Toronto develepers who build in sinaîl commumities are residents wbo want te escape city life. As a resuit, residential deve- lopinenti amaller communities bring s floods of commuters, says Gord Mason, resident of Mason Homes Ltd. Zeut 70 par cent of the homes he huilds in Barrie are for people moving from Toronto, he adds. Mason advertises his Peter- borough and Barrie homes in Toronto newspapers. But Featherstonaugh says the increased population, who «want aIl the amenities they have in Toronto, but with a country-sty- led life," croates many problema. Net oniy do they want arenas, parka and transit -systems, their cars increase traffic congestion and their children crowd existing achocis, lho stresses. «We will net accept the develo- per's excuse cf leaving the pro- bem te the school Lard, ho adds. Featherstenaugh suggests developer could builda chool, lease it te the board and relieve the pressures cf expansion, an idea the THBA bas taken te a number cf Metro-area school boards. «Communities have te, plan ahead for future growth,» aays Barbara Klein, directer cf sales land marketing for Victoria Wood Development Corn. «We must look at demanda& on roada sewers and schocls, and finci revenue for repairas.», JAN UARY NOW SAVE" ÀfOÉ% MENS & WOMEN'S SHOES, BOOTS, SLUPPERS & PURSES ~ uhbrand names as Clark, Florsheim, DakRockport, Naturalizer, Jarman, Cetebrtty, La Vailqe and giany many T.re!1 I i u..UUU~~UD mu mu K4 ME KASHOES WfHIUJ MALL 728-4197 SPECIAL PU RCHASE LIMUTED QUANTITIES AVAILABLE BASIC GARAGE or BASEMENT STORAGE UNIT unfinished, urassembled, stackable 2 SHELF UNIT 3 SHELF UNIT $3995 5DRAWER PULL OUT BASKET SYSTEM *$99)00 [ ACCCýE AGE SHELVING WE MAKE FREE HOUSE CALLS. RESIDENTIAL' COMMERCIAL - 80 THICKSON RD. SOUTH. 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