At MID-RISE.CA we believe that supporting Mid-Rise Real Estate Development projects is the key to creating a decentralized solution to Canada’s housing crisis.
Our mission is to empower small entrepreneurs and real estate developers to thrive in the Mid-Rise sector by providing them with the resources they need to define, plan, and execute successful projects. We understand that the housing crisis is a complex and urgent problem that requires bold action, and we’re committed to being part of the solution.
WE NEED AN ARMY OF MID-RISE DEVELOPERS TO HELP SOLVE CANADA’S HOUSING CRISIS
About the FOUNDER
Payam Noursalehi
President of Dena Project Management, Payam is A Real Estate & Construction Professional with a passion for Mid-Rise projects. His experience comes from his exposure to multiple aspects of the industry, such as Engineering, Construction Management, Development Management, and Private Equity Investment.
Contributers
What started as a personal passion and endeavor very quickly grew into a vibrant and dynamic discussion among passionate, like-minded experts. At MID-RISE.CA, our mission to tackle Canada’s housing crisis is fueled by the collective expertise and dedication of our team of contributors. Their invaluable insights, experience, and commitment empower us to offer expert guidance, customized solutions, and comprehensive industry knowledge to aspiring entrepreneurs and real estate developers in the mid-rise sector.
We highly appreciate the contribution of the following experts and professionals to our community.
Stephan Mansour
With nearly 2 decades in the construction sector, Stephan’s specialty is in construction digitization and supporting the adoption of innovative technologies in the AEC industry. Focusing on Additive Construction (AC) and ISO / ASTM standards for Construction 3D printing.
Leigh Newman
As CEO of Printerra, a PropTech and GreenTech platform for Additive Construction, he leads the development of systems, tools, and strategic partnerships to enable industry adoption of faster, more cost-effective, and sustainable building methods.
Amy Vilis
Is the Director of Housing Growth Innovation at DIGITAL — Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Digital Technologies — where she leads national initiatives that accelerate innovation across the housing and construction ecosystem. Her work focuses on fostering cross-sector collaboration between technology companies, developers, policymakers, and researchers to address Canada’s housing challenges.
is a Senior Planner with the City of Toronto’s Development Review Division, where he supports major planning and policy files, including the Multiplex Monitoring Program, Sixplex Study, and Missing Middle Pilot. With a background in urban and regional planning and experience working across planning, engineering, and transportation inputs.
Chris Spoke is a real estate developer and partner at Toronto Standard, which specializes in mid-rise rental infill in Toronto. Chris also speaks and writes about housing policy, including on his podcast, Hogtown, and in publications like the Globe & Mail and The Hub. He is also one of the founders of the Missing Middle Summit.
Peter is Vice President & Chief Economist, Altus Group / Head of Economic Strategy — Leads economic forecasting, thought leadership and the Altus economic advisory team. Altus Group is a commercial real-estate advisory, data and software company providing cost consulting, valuation and advisory, and data & analytics for property markets and real estate investors.
is Vice President, Financing at Peakhill Capital. Max was previously responsible for overseeing the launch and operation of Peakhill’s CMHC lending business. Max has participated in the closing of over $2B in insured and conventional transactions for institutional and family office clients across Canada. Prior to joining Peakhill, Max worked as a debt underwriter at RioCan REIT on the asset management team.
Arash is an entrepreneur and innovator. One of the Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction for his innovative work. Arash holds a PhD in construction engineering and management technologies and co-founded the Building Innovation Research Centre at the University of Toronto.
is Manager of Environment, Climate & Forestry at the City of Toronto, where he leads the team responsible for low-carbon development and the Toronto Green Standard (TGS), a key policy tool driving net-zero new buildings. David has nearly a decade of experience advancing renewable thermal energy projects, SolarTO initiatives, and mass-timber affordable housing strategies.
is the Founder and CEO of Rathco ENG Ltd., a Guelph-based engineering firm specializing in district energy, geothermal, sewer heat recovery, biomass, and solar thermal systems. Since establishing Rathco, he has led work on projects such as Humber College’s steam-to-hot-water conversion and the Zibi Ottawa district energy distribution, bringing international standards and practical know-how to Canadian developments.
Ben is the President and owner of Bullpen Research & Consulting Inc. With over 20 years of real estate research experience in both the United States and Canada, Ben has established himself as an industry expert and a go-to source for the latest information and insight on the domestic residential housing market.
Ben is also the host of the Toronto Under Construction Podcast.
Ben is the founder of AltCrest Energy. AltCrest Energy is a renewable energy developer meeting the commercial real estate industry’s energy requirements and supporting net-zero objectives. Before founding AltCrest, Ben had a 13-year career in successive roles in the institutional real estate sector, culminating in 5 years as Director, Development at QuadReal Property Group leading mixed-use and industrial projects.
Kelly is an urban planner and SvN Associate with intense knowledge and experience working with public and private sector clients on projects ranging from individual site development approvals to master planning and secondary plan studies. She brings an action-oriented and collaborative approach to developing solutions for various land use planning matters.
Conrad is a housing designer and building code researcher. He was awarded the 2024 Canada Council Prix de Rome in Architecture and the 2025 RAIC Medal for Research & Innovation on behalf of LGA Architectural Partners.
Robert Eisenberg
Together with his partner in York Heritage Properties, Robert Eisenberg has been breathing new life into old buildings for over 40 years. Formerly, Eisenberg was a principal in Intraurban Projects, a developer of infill, medium-density residential projects.
In 2021, Eisenberg was appointed to the Order of Canada for his commitment to the revitalization of Toronto’s architectural heritage and for his community service benefiting the environment and youth.
Blair is the Managing Principal of Scorgie Planning. Professional Planner and Urban Designer with over fifteen years of experience.
Blair is a contributing author of “House Divided”, an anthology published by Coach House Books that is focused on addressing Toronto’s housing crisis. He is also a co-author of “The House is on Fire”, a report prepared under the direction of SvN Architects + Planners Inc. that is focused on utilizing the Official Plan as a means of comprehensively implementing the City of Toronto’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy.
With a Master’s in Business Administration and over 20 years of experience in real estate development, marketing and sales, Justin Aykler directs GRID’s strategic focus, identifying and managing site acquisitions and financing. GRID focuses on smaller-scale, context-sensitive developments that reflect a growing demand for ownership opportunities, offering an alternative to high-rise living and urban sprawl. He has been involved in the development and sales of the Earl Lofts, Steam Plant Lofts, East Village Leslieville, Piano Towns, The Lofthouse, and Sunday School Lofts projects.
A chartered quantity surveyor by trade, Marlon has almost 30 years of experience in the Construction and Development field.
Edward is an entrepreneur, urbanist, architecture and development enthusiast.
His career spans 30 years in the media, publishing and communications industries. He was one of the early adopters in online publishing, internet marketing and social media. Currently, he is the founder and publisher of UrbanToronto.ca and SkyriseCities.com.
Founder of MassCan Capital, Edd has worked in real estate finance and banking, private equity, development, construction and cost consulting, and architecture for nearly two decades. He has received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth, a M.Sc. in Construction Management from Georgia Tech, and a M.Sc. in Architecture from the University of Tehran.
Dave DeKort is a senior leader at Mattamy Homes, one of North America’s largest privately-owned homebuilders. With over 20 years of experience in the real estate and homebuilding industry, Dave specializes in areas such as urban planning, site development, project management and construction management.
Michael Testaguzza, MCIP, RPP
Michael is a Registered Professional Planner and Partner at The Biglieri Group. He leads multi-disciplinary teams to streamline the preparation, submission and approval of land use planning applications, including Site Plans, Condominium, Subdivisions, Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-Law Amendments, Minor Variances, and Consent Applications.
Robert McQuillan
Robert is a Planner at The Biglieri Group and a Candidate Member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. His range of project experience spans Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments for large-scale, master-planned communities, minor variances for infill multiplex projects, academic research, social planning for culturally specific long-term care, and more.
Manager, Building Structures Division – MTE Consultants is a multidisciplinary engineering firm providing services in civil and structural engineering, building and environmental science, toxicology and land surveying.
A registered architect in Canada, is one of the two founding partners of Icon Architects, specialized in multi-family and mixed-use high-rise, midrise and low-rise architecture. Their firm has won numerous design awards, and is considered one the leading firms in the city.
(a.k.a. Kosta) came to Canada as a refugee from Bulgaria. From humble beginnings, through hard work, long-term planning, and resourcefulness, he managed to work his way up to becoming a real estate developer.
An Acoustical Engineer at HGC in HVAC Noise Control, including the development of internal modelling resources based on continual emerging theoretical and experimental research publications. He is also an expert at conducting sound transmission testing and is a member of both the ISO and ASTM Technical Committees on Building Acoustics.
With more than 25 years of experience in the architectural, heritage and engineering professions, he is the founder of Giaimo Architects with an approach to architecture that sources the value and characteristics of existing buildings and spaces. His projects have received numerous awards, he has been acknowledged with a Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation.
The founder of the SDR Group is an Architect turned Real Estate Developer. Over the past four decades, The SDR Group has been at the forefront of leading design and development. Endeavors revolve around creating and participating in exciting projects and ground-breaking opportunities involving sustainability, re-purposing, and imaginatively implementing fascinating and creative solutions.
An architect since 1975 and the president and founder of Urban Fabric and a principle at Grid Developments. With decades of experience as an architect & real estate developer George has the vision and experience to manage a residential development at every stage, from site analysis and planning approvals through to design and construction.
Webinar Presenters
Matt Bolen
Matt, as a Director at McCallumSather, is immersed in combining his deep understanding of conventional construction with advanced research and innovative development initiatives. With a focus on multi-residential building design, Matt’s expertise bridges across small-scale urban infill, mid-rise, and multi-phased high-rise development.
Scott Armstrong
A senior Associate, Building Envelope & Sustainability at Entuitive, specializes in building science and sustainability, with over 25 years of experience delivering projects across commercial, institutional, healthcare, heritage, and residential sectors in Canada, Bermuda, and the Middle East.
Chris Stigas
Abtin Nikeghbali
Is a Director of Mortgage Origination at Canada ICI. Since 2020, Abtin has advised on over $4.5 billion in real estate financings across Canada, leading the structuring and underwriting of complex debt and equity capital solutions. His expertise spans land and construction loans, bridge and inventory financing, term debt, and equity placement.
Blog Contributors
Raymond Van Groll, P. Eng.
Manager, Building Structures Division – MTE Consultants is a multidisciplinary engineering firm providing services in civil and structural engineering, building and environmental science, toxicology and land surveying.
John Bell, C.E.T, BCxP, LEED Green Assoc.
RWDI’s Technical Director of Commissioning and helps new and existing buildings achieve their full potential. John is an award-winning building commissioning professional with more than 20 years of testing and commissioning experience and hundreds of projects across diverse sectors and industries, including data centers, laboratories, institutional, and residential projects
