Energy-Smart and Stylish Too

PACE Developments
Written by Pauline Müller

When introduced to Pamela Ventresca, Chief Operations Officer of PACE Developments, the first thing that strikes one is her passion for realty done right. Her fully-integrated, multi-disciplinary development and construction firm is not one to let the grass grow under its feet; the PACE Developments team works efficiently and fast. It serves the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with a selection of services ranging from land development and home building, to decor and interior design.

Speed and attention to detail are evident in everything this hands-on family firm touches, from giving customers individual care to developing and selling prime real estate. Based in Toronto, Ontario, PACE prides itself on forward thinking and making dreams come true.

Alongside contemporary housing developments, the company also offers innovative finance solutions that give buyers the opportunity to own property that they may otherwise have been unable to mortgage. It goes to great pains to ensure that it selects the best neighbourhoods for its developments and that projects have beautiful and optimally functional living spaces. Customers also have added peace of mind knowing that its work holds up to the standards set by the Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA), of which the company is a member.

With hundreds of units currently planned to be constructed over the course of several years, the company has seen tremendous recent expansion, welcoming over 500 new clients in the past year, and the figure is growing. The company recently concluded its Oak Hill custom-built residence development that is marked by attractive design and natural surroundings. In addition, the company will soon complete the Julien Court development, located at 9891 Keele Street in Vaughan, Ontario, which is a heritage inspired townhome development including the restoration of the existing heritage home on the property dating back to the early 1900s. Once the homes are complete, the grand opening of the new property will be on May 23, 2020, providing families with brand new move-in ready homes!

The company’s most recent success story illustrates its vision for an economically inclusive future for all Canadians. Urban North Townhomes is a community development project based on comfort, a lifestyle close to nature, and easy access to main transportation routes. Set on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Barrie, Ontario, the development is hard to match in quality and beauty. It will house over 800 families and has made owning a home a reality for scores of millennials and others who could otherwise not afford to own property.

The Urban North development is but one example of the company’s commitment to creating healthy urban living spaces while mitigating the prohibitive costs that are often faced when entering the real estate market for the first time. The project has earned PACE Developments ample recognition and several awards in the field.

“It’s a very popular site. We’ve been nominated for thirteen awards, and [won six] in 2019 for our sales and marketing efforts, which has proven to be a very successful year for us,” says Ventresca. “We’re very proud to offer our buyers ‘The Right PACE Deposit Structure.’”

The company’s new, in-house boutique real estate brokerage, P2 Realty, takes care of its clients’ financial needs, for hassle-free property purchases. “We realized that the [current] housing market makes it difficult for millennials and first-time buyers to afford a home in the GTA. [For this reason,] we introduced The Right PACE Deposit Structure a couple of years back,” Ventresca says. This has also paved the way for increased real estate sales, as the company celebrated another huge milestone in 2019 as one of the top five selling GTA home builders.

With high builders’ deposits and even higher property prices, PACE Developments puts owning a home in the GTA area within reach of a large number of first-time homebuyers by allowing buyers to pay off their initial down payments over eighteen months with monthly deposit instalments ranging from $2,000 to $4,000. The deposit structure is now made fully available to all buyers across all its projects.

The company is a dedicated supporter of energy preservation, is Energy Star-qualified and installs Energy Star-certified appliances whenever possible. It also ensures that all units are lit with LED lighting throughout, that Energy Star-qualified double window panes improve insulation, and that next-generation roof tiles meet the organization’s demands in terms of light reflection and emissions. Even the company’s furnace rental service gives occupants access to much-improved ventilation and cleaner air.

PACE Developments also offers customizations, allowing clients to individualize their space to suit their tastes. “We do not limit people. We understand that even on a site of ten or 100 homes, people’s needs are very important, and we strive to treat all clients’ needs with the utmost of priority as we acknowledge the reality that purchasing a home is the largest and most exciting decision a family will make,” Ventresca says.

To make the firm’s beautiful properties even harder to resist, it teamed up with Andrew Pike, television host and designer, to take its living spaces beyond ordinary with elements that are modern yet classic. Pike’s curated design packages allow clients to choose from a range of finishes to create their signature look. Clients can also select from standard, customized, and luxury options, putting PACE Developments’ properties within reach of a wide range of buyers.

While the PACE brand was the creation of brother and sister duo, Pamela Ventresca and Vice President Peter Sciavilla, their father, Dino Sciavilla, was the family’s pioneer with thousands of completed units and over forty years’ of experience in the field. The siblings decided to put a new spin on property development when their father set up the business around 2009 under the PACE banner. Together, the family established PACE Developments by looking at living and commercial spaces from the user’s point of view.

Fuelled by healthy growth, the company recently employed several new team members, from construction to sales to accounting and more. “Our team is extremely hard working and we are able to produce the same amount of work with high-quality standards, volume, and customer service as any large firm would,” says Ventresca, who ascribes the quality of its people to the company’s stringent policy of hiring only the best candidates for the job. “Their [phenomenal output] is comparable to a team of hundreds of people. To me, that speaks volumes of their dedication and their knowledge,” she adds.

Its team comprises both new and longstanding employees, some of whom have been with PACE Developments for over fourteen years. This gives the group decades of experience combined with exciting new ideas and classic principles.

PACE Developments is also known for its philanthropy as one of the official corporate sponsors of the Toronto SickKids Hospital Foundation, raising over CAD $250,000 for the organization to date. Its annual charity golf tournament in support of the foundation underlies its commitment to taking care of the local community and its children. While the company’s charity work is heading for new heights, its growth strategy is also well underway.

With the recent addition of high-rise condominiums to its repertoire, PACE Developments is on a roll. “We like to keep things fresh. It is always [great] to expand your portfolio and explore new avenues of the industry for the growth of our team and the products we offer our future clients,” says Ventresca. True to its style, diversity will continue to lead the way as the company chooses new projects over the next few years. And, as the family firm looks to the future, more passion, sophistication, and style can be expected to follow.

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