Love of culture reflected in veteran builder’s sites
Goldman, 75, still at helm of family business
From the start, he was leader in urban renewal
Excerpt from an article by Stephen Weir – Toronto Star
A quick peek through the half-drawn curtains of home builder Murray Goldman’s Forest Hill residence lets slip more about the man’s philosophy on construction than any sales sheets, brochure or website ever will. For a brick and mortar guy who has built on many of Toronto’s blue chip sites, this is a lifestyle where culture rules.
Even at the age 75, stealing the time to create in clay, is frequently not a done deal. Goldman doesn’t believe in retirement, he feels it is akin to giving up. Almost always on the job, he has to think artistic as he juggles a handful of phone calls – at the same.In reality, his canvas is Toronto and his “masterpieces” can be seen in almost every part of town. The Ports Condominiums at Yonge and Summerhill, the Castle Hill Townhomes at the foot of Casa Loma, the Forest Hill Lofts and Jane Parker Square, are four of his projects that have won both high praise and noteworthy building awards.
As a big player in Toronto’s residential development industry, Murray Goldman, president of the Goldman Group, says that after 50 years in business and tens of thousands of homes, townhouses and condominium units built, his guiding principle and overall objective can be neatly summed up in just seven words: “To leave the world a better place.”
Almost from the beginning, Goldman has been recognized as a leader in urban renewal. He has a knack of picking up distressed land that no one seems to want and turning it into housing that people definitely want.
Working with Monarch Construction and Regal Crest Homes, the firm will soon start digging at the site. The plan is to build 900 homes, a senior citizen’s residence and retail complex along Warden Avenue.
Meanwhile, back in Forest Hill, Murray Goldman is deconstructing a brick bank near his home. The building, at the corner of Bathurst and St. Clair, is coming down to make room for a new, tasteful 22-storey condominium.
“We have gone inside the building and are doing the demolition inside out. Once the TTC construction has moved past our site, we will begin to build our new condo – we have given it two names – 500 St. Clair West, The Forest Hill – which is now on sale.”
Goldman doesn’t have an opinion on the merits of the St. Clair streetcar upgrades, but he does feel that his Forest Hill condominium will have the best transit links in the city.
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