Crown acquires, leases, manages and redevelops commercial real estate assets across Canada. Crown has a well established track record, an experienced team and takes a hands-on approach to provide superior returns for our investors and better workplaces for businesses operating within our portfolio.
The Partners of Crown co-invest alongside the corporations, institutions, pension funds and family offices that entrust us with their capital, ensuring strong alignment of interests.
Our history and track record highlight our deep experience and strong fundamentals. Crown has grown with thoughtful, strategic expansion and succession planning to ensure the best outcome for our investors.
Crown is formed in 2001 as partnership between entrepreneurial real estate operators and key members of Crown Life Insurance Company’s real estate team. The firm’s objective is to create a smarter, more integrated, more responsible model for commercial real estate investing and management.
Crown introduces its first value-add fund for Canadian institutional investors. The fund is focused on identifying undervalued real estate assets and optimizing every detail of operations to maximize their potential.
Following in the same theme of CR LP, Crown’s second value-add fund is launched.
Crown worked with a large tenant at Concorde Corporate Centre in Toronto to transform a large paved terrace into a rooftop “Garden in the Sky.” Inspired by a study showing that green roofs reduce urban heat, Crown partnered with the tenant to create their urban oasis. In addition to improving air quality and reducing energy consumption, the garden created 7,500 sq. ft. of useable space that is enjoyed by building occupants and the surrounding community.
We prioritize the health and wellbeing of building occupants and have earned a number of other certifications.
Building on the success of Crown’s value-add investment strategy, CR III LP kicks off.
Scott Watson and Emily Hanna appointed Partners of Crown
Crown expands its leadership team with the addition of Scott Watson, Partner Leasing & Acquisitions and the promotion of Emily Hanna to Partner, Investments.
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Les Miller and Jamie Christie appointed Co-Managing Partners.
Les and Jamie were both integral to Crown’s business, having become partners at Crown in 2002 and 2010, respectively.
At this time, Crown also introduces a governance structure and forms an Executive Committee, intended to provide counsel to the partnership. The Committee, chaired by Michael Pittana, is also comprised of the other founding partners of the firm (Stephan von Buttlar, Alan Rowe and Brian Johnson).
Crown forms a closed-end fund consisting of $400M of stable real estate assets intended for long-term hold and ongoing distributions.
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Crown aligns its interests with several organizations including Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). In 2016, Crown’s 15th anniversary provided our team the opportunity to focus our fundraising efforts and Team Crown was proud to be the top fundraiser in the JDRF real estate ride, campaigning over $72,000 for the cause that affects many of our team members’ lives.
Following in the same theme of past funds, Crown’s fourth value-add fund is focused on real estate assets across Canada.
Through our Workfit by Crown fitness amenity model, we help our building occupants achieve their health and wellness goals.
WorkFit by Crown helps our building occupants live a more robust, productive and healthy lifestyle, while encouraging a stronger sense of community in each of our buildings.
Longtime members of the Crown team, Gary Summers and Mark Dimmell are added to the Partnership. Each is continuing as a leader of a Crown business unit, overseeing the Operations & Construction and Finance & Reporting teams at Crown, respectively.
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Over the past two decades, Crown has become known for finding value in commercial real estate assets and maximizing their potential. 5255 Yonge presented an opportunity to add value through large-scale building repositioning which includes Crown’s first, and the GTA’s largest, full-floor repositioning.
Crown also introduced its first and the GTA’s largest full-floor model suite which resulted in its successful lease-up, bringing building occupancy to 90% from 30% in just over one year.
2019 is Crown’s first year reporting on its overall sustainability strategy and specifically the performance of the assets within its Core Fund.
Crown pursues health and well-being for our tenants, earning certifications across the portfolio. Crown’s submission also earned the Green Star designation, reinforcing Crown’s sustainability-focused Management, Policy and Implementation across its portfolio.
Crown adds a 415,561 sq. ft. portfolio of flex office space in Ottawa, Ontario. This marks Crown’s second major acquisition in the Ottawa market and motivated the establishment of an office in Ottawa.
A new management office is established in Ottawa, led by Michael Stones who is charged with building the platform in our country’s capital.
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Consistent with the value-add philosophy of its predecessor funds, CR V focuses on commercial real estate assets with value enhancement opportunities located within Canada’s primary office markets, especially the Greater Toronto and Greater Ottawa areas.
Crown and Vestcor have a long history, with Vestcor investing in Crown’s limited partnership funds since 2009. With Vestcor as an institutional partner, Crown reinforces its commitment to its fiduciary duties, good governance and ESG.
Scott Watson and Emily Hanna appointed to Managing Partners of Crown
Crown continues to expand its leadership team with the promotion of Scott Watson to Managing Partner, Leasing & Acquisitions and Emily Hanna to Managing Partner, Investments.
2021 marked Crown’s 20th anniversary. More than ever, Crown is committed to advancing our ESG platform and continuing to operate healthy office communities.
We invest in relationships: connecting capital with opportunities, organizations with engaging workspaces and buildings with their communities.
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As Managing Partner, CEO, Les oversees the strategic corporate direction, governance, talent development, and other service functions across the organization. Les is Crown’s biggest advocate of delivering an excellent workplace experience to tenants, the foundation of the team’s approach to property management.Over his 19+ years with Crown and breadth of experience across multiple service lines, Les has been instrumental in spearheading and executing on Crown’s unique approach to value-add real estate, creating sustainable, risk-adjusted returns to investors.Les is an active member of REALPAC.
Jamie oversees the asset management functions across Crown’s portfolio and as Managing Partner, leads the strategic planning, development, repositioning and disposition of assets. His detail-oriented workstyle provides the foundation for Crown’s value-add approach to building repositioning, ultimately focused on delivering above-average risk-adjusted returns to investors.Prior to joining Crown over 14 years ago, Jamie was the Director of Asset Management at Minto Developments. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute in Toronto. Jamie is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
As Managing Partner, Leasing and Acquisitions, Scott is responsible for identifying and negotiating the acquisition of investment opportunities across Canada to meet Crown’s investment objectives. Scott uses a creative lens to add value for Crown’s stakeholders and investors through guiding new leasing and strategic capital initiatives across Crown’s portfolio.A member of the VTS Office Advisory Board, Scott joins a group of some of North America’s preeminent leaders in the office sector for one of the largest proptech companies in real estate. Scott is a former board member of NAIOP Greater Toronto.Prior to joining Crown, Scott was Senior Vice-President, National Director at Jones Lang LaSalle and prior to 2009, a Vice President at Colliers International.
Emily is Managing Partner, Investments, overseeing the capital raising and ESG functions at Crown. Emily works with the acquisitions, finance, and asset management teams in the development of investment strategies. She is Partner Liaison of Crown’s ESG Committee and is a member of Crown’s internal Investment Committee, which provides oversight and governance over the firm’s investment decisions.Prior to joining Crown, Emily was at Allied REIT, where she advanced the REIT’s early property development program and concluded over a billion dollars of acquisitions across Canada, including 151 Front Street West, a Wall Street Journal “deal of the week.”An active member in the real estate community, Emily has served on the board for Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and Ted Rogers School of Management Real Estate Advisory Council. She is also a past board member and past president of NAIOP Greater Toronto. Emily holds a Bachelor of Sciences (Honours) degree, Master of Arts and PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto.
As the Partner of Finance and Reporting, Mark oversees the preparation of financial statements for all Crown funds and co-ownerships, investor reporting requirements, treasury, taxation and accounting policies.Prior to joining Crown in 2011, Mark was the Director of Reporting for a major Toronto-based REIT. He is Deputy Chair of the Admission and Registration Committee with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and volunteers his time on the Executive Committee to the Learning Disabilities Association of York Region. Mark is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
A creative thinker with national perspective, Stefan leads Crown’s Leasing team. His 20 years of industry experience, including 14 years as a top-performing leasing broker, have proven Stefan to consistently uncover opportunities and deliver outstanding results for his clients. He is an expert in value creation and asset positioning across asset classes and has a deep understanding of the changing dynamics in Canada’s urban and suburban markets.Active in various industry associations, Stefan serves as acting Treasurer of the SIOR Canadian Central Chapter and is a member of the Diversity & Inclusivity committee sponsored by a consortium of industry associations including NAIOP, REALPAC, ULI, SIOR, BOMA and Toronto Crew.
Crown’s Advisory Board consists of business leaders who meet regularly with Crown’s partners to provide strategic counsel, recommendations and advice to the firm. The Advisory Board provides recommendations to Crown’s partnership on ESG matters, market insights, consulting on investor reporting and potential conflicts of interest. The intelligence and unbiased outside perspective of Crown’s Advisory Board ensures Crown’s strategic decision making is in the best interests of investors, employees, and other stakeholders.
