urban community. Other universities in Canada – including the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and the Simon Fraser University in Burnaby – had previously demonstrated the value of that neighboring community concept. “Those campuses have added multiple thousands of multi-family and retail on their lands, and they have built communities that go beyond pure academia,” Greg explains. “It’s become a common model. It’s proven to work. By effectively leveraging the amenities that are already on campus – the fitness facilities, the arts facilities, the education facilities, et cetera – you can create successful communities where people really want to live.” After acquiring the land, the University of Manitoba put a lot of thought into what the masterplan for the property should look like. They then formed a governance structure and set up a separate entity whose job it would be to develop the community. That entity was UM Properties. “The university recognized that developing property is not what they do,” Greg says. “They are in the business of research and teaching. So they decided that they should set up a separate entity whose expertise and track record was in property development.” UM Properties started by forming a board of directors, and that board of directors conducted a national search for a CEO. Greg was hired for the role in September 2019. He’s a former Winnipegger with 30 years of commercial and residential development experience in Canada and the US. APRIL 2025
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