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In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, recorded live at the Land and Development Conference in Toronto, hosts Aaron Cameron and Adam Powadiuk sit down with Brian Salpeter, Executive Vice President of Development at Cadillac Fairview. Brian shares his unique journey from lawyer to developer and how CF has evolved from its 1994 restructuring to become Canada’s premier real estate platform with $29 billion in assets under management.

The conversation covers CF’s strategic approach to portfolio balancing, moving beyond their traditional retail and office focus to embrace multifamily and industrial development. Brian discusses the challenges and opportunities in retail transformation, including how CF is reimagining former department store spaces and creating mixed-use communities around their shopping centers.

Topics we discuss:

• CF’s transformation from post-restructuring to $29B platform
• Strategic approach to mall densification and mixed-use development
• Retail evolution: adapting to Nordstrom and Hudson’s Bay closures
• The future of office development and flight to quality
• Market timing and cycle navigation strategies
• Industrial development expansion across Canada
• Balancing short-term profits with long-term community building
• Geographic focus and market selection criteria

Brian Salpeter is the Executive Vice President of Development at Cadillac Fairview, bringing over 30 years of experience in real estate and law. He began his career as a lawyer in Montreal in 1994, where his first client was Cadillac Fairview during its CCAA restructuring. After 20 years in legal practice, he joined CF in 2015 as Senior VP Development, working on projects across Eastern Canada before taking on national development responsibilities in 2024.

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