ONE BLOOR TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
July 15, 2011
David Gerofsky, LL. B.
Great Gulf Group of Companies
President and Chief Operating Officer
In 2003, David Gerofsky joined the Great Gulf Group of Companies – a fully integrated
collection of companies that span the entire real estate spectrum, in the capacity of Executive
Vice President, Managing Director, First Gulf (the parent company’s office, retail and industrial
real estate development division). In 2005, Mr. Gerofsky was named Chief Executive Officer of
First Gulf, and in 2007 became First Gulf President and Chief Executive Officer. With his 2009
appointment as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Great Gulf Group of Companies,
his leadership role encompasses all aspects of finance, development, construction, acquisitions
and dispositions. He currently oversees the operations of multi-award-winning Great Gulf
Homes (both low-rise and high-rise condominium divisions), and he continues his role as First
Gulf CEO.
Mr. Gerofsky received his LL.B. from University of Western Ontario and was called to the Bar in
1985. He began his career as a lawyer at a major Toronto law firm. He previously held senior
executive positions with two large Canadian real estate companies, most recently as Senior Vice
President with TD Investment Real Estate.
His broad-based industry experience enables him to steer the future of the Great Gulf Group of
Companies by collaborating with industry partners with an attitude of integrity and trust, and
to realize the company’s ongoing commitment to superior quality development, exacting
construction standards, and design excellence.
David Pontarini, OAA, RAIC
Hariri Pontarini Architects
Founding Partner
David Pontarini studied architecture at the University of Toronto. With over 25 years of
professional experience, David’s portfolio demonstrates a diversity of award-winning projects,
ranging from large-scale complex urban high-rise and mixed-use developments, to residential
interiors, unified by thoughtful planning and a commitment to quality in design. Frequently
working with developers, urban planners, city officials and institutions, particularly in Toronto’s
downtown core, David’s work has been recognized for improving the urban condition.
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-2Currently, David is Partner-in-Charge of the One Bloor mixed-use residential development at
the prestigious corner location of Yonge and Bloor Streets. Situated at one of Toronto’s busiest
and most revered intersections, this luxury building will encompass a 70-storey high-rise
residential condo tower and multi-level commercial retail space facing Yonge and Bloor. David
has also recently commenced work on the design of an entire city block within the Regent Park
redevelopment in the heart of downtown Toronto. Spanning 25 acres, the country’s oldest
community housing project is being transformed into a mixed-use residential community,
including subsidized and non-subsidized residential units as well as commercial and retail space.
David is currently Partner-in-Charge of 15 large scale luxury mixed-use commercial residential
developments, including 100 Yorkville at Bellair and Minto St. Thomas, located in Toronto’s
historic Yorkville district; the Vu, a redevelopment of Toronto’s former Goodwill site; One City
Hall, situated directly behind Toronto’s City Hall; and a luxury condominium complex in Dallas,
Texas.
David participated in a study and report for the City of Toronto’s new Tall Buildings
Performance Standards for the Downtown area in collaboration with Urban Strategies Inc. The
study offers a vision and regulations that will help shape Toronto’s Downtown district for the
next generation of development. David maintains active involvement in support of the local
architectural community as a former member of the City of Toronto’s Design Review Panel, and
the City of Toronto’s Preservation Board, a visiting lecturer at the University of Toronto’s
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, and a former member of the OAA Council,
representing Toronto Centre from 1992–2002.
David’s extensive experience in designing projects in coordination with planners, community
and residential committees, and City Councillors with special heritage considerations and
specialty infill projects has given him a firm understanding of the process and complexities
associated with working in urban neighbourhood fabrics.
Anna Simone, ARIDO, IDC
Cecconi Simone Inc.
Founding Partner
Anna Simone is a founding partner and principal of Cecconi Simone Inc., an internationally
renowned multi-disciplinary design firm. With over 28 years of practice, the firm has
distinguished itself with an ability to generate award-winning creative solutions to the design
problems facing the contemporary client.
Cecconi Simone is recognized as one of Canada’s leading designers of condominiums, lofts and
urban style living environments. The firm has worked on multi-unit residential developments in
Canada, the United States, India and in the Middle East [Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar]. The
company has designed over 50 towers in the city of Toronto alone.
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-3Cecconi Simone has met with continued success over the years; their work has been widely
published in many Canadian and International publications and they have been honoured with
over 70 awards of recognition. Ms. Simone has lectured at design shows, conferences and
educational facilities and has served as juror on various design panels. She is the co-founder of
the Pug Awards, which recognizes the best and worst residential and commercial developments
in the city of Toronto, and along with her business partner, Elaine Cecconi, was a key player in
HGTV’s Design Interns, which is now syndicated in the United States.
Janet Rosenberg, OALA, FCSLA, ASLA, IFLA, RCA
Janet Rosenberg + Associates
Founding Principal
Janet Rosenberg + Associates (JRA) is one of Canada’s most distinguished landscape
architecture and urban design firms with over 26 years of experience and an extensive portfolio
of high-profile urban projects. JRA is a widely-published, award-winning company, recognized
globally for innovation and design excellence.
At the helm of the firm is Janet Rosenberg, an enthusiastic defender of the public realm and
avid proponent of environmental sustainability whose professional goal is to make the world a
better place one landscape at a time. As founding principal of JRA, she has been pushing the
boundaries of landscape design, leading her firm towards the completion of numerous projects,
and bringing landscape architecture to the forefront of discussion.
Among her many commitments, Janet is a founding member of the Toronto Tree Foundation
and a long standing participant of Toronto’s Waterfront Review Panel and the City of Toronto
Design Review Panel. She also frequently sits on international jury panels as well as speaks
about the profession at conferences and universities across North America. In recognition of
her work, Janet has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Ryerson University, a
prestigious Urban Leadership Award from the Canadian Urban Institute, the OALA’s Pinnacle
Award for Landscape Architectural Excellence, and the Governor General of Canada
Confederation Medal.
Glenn Herman, OALA, CSLA
Janet Rosenberg + Associates
Principal and Senior Designer
Highly creative and experienced, Glenn Herman has helped JRA earn an international
reputation along with numerous awards since 1988. His designs are known for being
innovative, iconic, and thought-provoking, the result of Glenn’s artistic sense and elegant style.
He works closely with Janet Rosenberg on all of the firm’s projects, taking inspiration from art
and nature to enhance peoples’ experiences of the outdoors. Glenn has also authored
numerous articles about design, demonstrating his passion and commitment to the discussion
of landscape architecture.
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Barbara Lawlor
Baker Real Estate Incorporated
President
With annual new home sales of over a billion dollars, Baker Real Estate is one of Canada’s most
successful real estate companies, specializing in project marketing and sales of new home and
condominium communities, including condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, as
well as hotel condominiums and resort properties. The company provides pre-construction
sales and marketing expertise to prestigious projects throughout Canada and the United
States. The company also has offices in Singapore and Florida.
As President of Baker Real Estate Incorporated, Ms. Lawlor is responsible for bringing new
business into the company. She is directly involved with the marketing and sales of preconstruction condominium developments in Canada and overseas, and has been key in
developing international markets in Russia, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Ms. Lawlor is a Registered Real Estate Broker and a Fellow of The Real Estate Institute of
Canada. She writes weekly columns for various publications and has become known as The
Condo Pro. Her charismatic style and tremendous knowledge make her a highly sought-after
seminar speaker.
Michael McGrath
Tucker Hi-Rise Construction Inc.
President
Michael McGrath joined the Great Gulf Group of Companies in 2002, and soon after, Tucker
Hi-Rise Construction Inc. was established. Part of the Great Gulf Group of Companies, Tucker
Hi-Rise was formed as a construction management firm specializing in the development and
construction of high-density, mixed-used projects.
Under the leadership of Mr. McGrath and his team, Tucker Hi-Rise has become a leader in this
category, providing development management services, pre-construction services and
construction management services for complex high-profile residential and mixed-use
construction ventures. The firm provides management and expertise to some of the largest
developers in the GTA, and surpassed the $1 billion mark of projects under construction in
2011.
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Mr. McGrath received his Bachelor of Technology degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University
and began his career with a major Toronto developer before starting his own construction
management firm. He introduced the B.I.M. (Building Information Modeling) system for design
development, an innovative method of using state-of-the-art 3D software to seamlessly bridge
communication among the architectural, engineering and construction disciplines.
Beyond that, Tucker Hi-Rise has designed its own process called BEEM (Building Elements
Execution and Modeling), which adds a fourth dimension of time and logistics and a fifth
dimension of cost. This enables the company to generate and exchange information through all
stages of the design process, simulate real-world performance, streamline workflow, value
engineer, increase productivity and improve project quality. This advanced system is being used
for One Bloor.
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Contacts for One Bloor Interviews:
Beth Shropshire; Dalia Blumenthal
Shropshire Communications Group
416.466.7044 [email protected]; 416.788.4573 [email protected]