Ian Pianosi Talks Perspective Condominiums

Recently, the team at the Toronto Star’s Newinhomes.com had the opportunity to sit down with developer Ian Pianosi, the visionary behind Perspective Condominiums. We talked about his start in development, Perspective Condos, and the future of Pianosi Development.

NewInHomes (NIH): What's your background, how did you get to where you are today?

Ian Pianosi (IP): My father started the company in the early 1950s. He started off as a carpenter - he never worked for anyone else, he was always on his own. He started framing houses right away. I joined him in the 1960s, and by around the age of 10, I was more involved with the company. Whenever he needed a labourer, I was the guy. I stayed with him throughout; I would always work with him during the summer, doing whatever was needed, including carpentry and drywall work.

In my late teens, I entered York University.  I completed a four year degree in economics, which was very helpful for me.  I started working full-time for my father, and shortly thereafter, I started a company, with my brother Giova. We were doing more industrial \ commercial buildings, and we never built for sale, we always built to lease. We still own those buildings to this day.

Later on, we built two high-rise condominiums in Etobicoke - we started right from the ground up. We took the projects through the re-zoning process, getting the project approved while working with rate-payers and councillors.

During this time, I continued to work on the industrial side. Around 8 years ago, we found out about the site at Edenbridge Plaza. As a kid, I used to shop at the Edenbridge Plaza, and I use to buy snacks from the variety store, or go to the Dominion. An agent that purchased a suite at one of our condominium developments mentioned that the plaza was for sale. After purchasing the plaza, we continued to manage it for over five years.

Eventually, I saw that more residential was needed in the area. I also saw that the store-owners were very dedicated to the plaza. We submitted our plans and worked with the locals to find the best fit. Area residents wanted retail, which worked well for us. We had a successful rezoning and that’s where we are now. Perspective has broken ground and we are getting great feedback.

NIH: It sounds like Pianosi is the definition of a family business. Will the business continue with your children?

IP: I have three sons who are in the engineering faculty, and one practicing business - they work from time to time with us. They helped with the sales office and such. They are also involved with the industrial side of the business, while completing their formal education.  They all have interest in joining us in the long term.

NIH: Does Pianosi favour one side of the building industry? Is it all about commercial or residential?

IP: My dad built apartment buildings in the early ‘60s. We still own one of those buildings today. We don't have one segment that we focus on. We are a family-based business and take on projects that make sense. When we see a project that we like, we move on it, whether it’s commercial, industrial, or residential.

NIH: What features make you proud to be the developer of Perspective Condominiums?

IP: I love the location. It’s right next to the river, and because of that, I know there will not be any future developments that impact the eco-system. There is a bike trail and waterfront system that allows you to walk right to the mouth of Lake Ontario. You're connected to nature at ground level, and when you come up to your balcony, you get some great views of the city skyline.

NIH: What kind of feedback have you received from purchasers?

IP: What we are finding is that many empty nesters are downsizing and buying a nice 1,000 to 1,200 square foot condo. They love what we have to offer. We have a significant amount of locals purchasing here because they know how great the area is. We are not seeing many investors. This building has a great community feel to it.

NIH: That’s great to hear! So what's next for Pianosi Development?

IP: We still have some industrial sites that we will develop when the timing is right. We don't look for new projects until we are finished with the one that we are working on. Right now, we are fully committed to Perspective Condominiums. As this project winds down, we’ll look for other sites.

We would like to thank Ian Pianosi for spending some time with us and talking about both Pianosi Development and Perspective Condominiums. We look forward to seeing their latest project rise.