Paul Reichmann: A real estate ‘genius’ who became a global player

[fiendishlibrarian]

"Paul Reichmann, the contrarian Toronto developer who made and lost a family fortune building office towers on unwanted spaces, has died at the age of 83.

A spokeswoman for the family said Mr. Reichmann died Friday morning – the cause of his death was not disclosed.

Mr. Reichmann was one of five close-knit brothers who emigrated to Canada in the 1950s from Tangier, Morocco after the Orthodox Jewish family fled persecution in Vienna. Three brothers, Edward, Louis and Ralph, ran Olympia Floor & Wall Tile Co., while Paul and Albert diversified into real estate with Olympia & York Developments Ltd."

Olympia Tile exists to this day, at Lawrence and Dufferin. Builder of First Canadian Place and Canary Wharf in London.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/legendary-canadian-real-estate-developer-paul-reichmann-dies/article15084013/#dashboard/follows/

 

[urbandreamer]

I will always think of those Maclean's and Financial Post headlines and stories from the early '90s as a way of remembering Paul.

 

[Conrad Black]

He was quite the developer. FCP was built very quickly for its time. An important man lost.

 

[Edward]

Was at First Canadian Place on the weekend. Great complex.

 

[Uncle Teddy]

Warehouses at Dufferin and Lawrence to Canary Wharf and much in the middle. Pretty impressive.

 

[Conrad Black]

Yep big time stuff