You wouldn’t think that an abandoned brick yard, a run-down plaza or a dilapidated hotel and gas station would be desirable places to live unless you’d seen two neighbourhoods created by Branthaven Homes. The mix of townhomes and commercial space that exists today in no way resembles the property that the company committed itself to rejuvenating.

Steve Stipsits, owner of Branthaven Homes explains how his company “remediates brown field sites” which are located within the urban area, have had a previous commercial or industrial use but have become eyesores. He tackles an area that “really is in need of revitalization and someone to come in with some vision and say I can turn this derelict property into a beautiful neighbourhood”.

In addition to beautifying the area, infill building such as this taps into existing municipal services including schools, sewers and transit routes. Not only does it make good use of the tax dollar, these developments don’t contribute to urban sprawl, suggests Stipsits.

In some cases his company has had to deal with contaminated sites which have to be cleaned up before development can begin. It’s a challenging process, admits the builder.

Facing that challenge brought about the Beach House neighbourhood at Hamilton Beach that features “59 gorgeous townhomes with a New England feel right on Lake Ontario” where once stood an old gas station and hotel. There’s also a mix of neighbourhood commercial properties in the development.

A run-down plaza that Stipsits describes as “a mess” made way for the Mosaic development with 56 townhomes, some of which incorporate the 14 commercial spaces in the new neighbourhood. This provides homeowners with a handy place to run a business or a rental opportunity for a business operator. With today’s low interest rates, Branthaven’s president contends it’s now cheaper to own than to rent.

“You recognize that an area has potential and maybe it hasn’t been addressed yet and you can go in and see that eventual jewel that you will create there.”

The award-winning builder cites another opportunity for infill when he purchased three large urban lots that each contained a mid-century home that was not in good shape. The lots were “inordinately large” and underutilized. He saw the potential and managed to bring more residents into the neighbourhood with his development.

His efforts are catching the attention of the industry. Branthaven recently earned three of eight finalist positions in what he calls “Toronto’s Oscars for builders” in the Community of the Year category.

To find out more about Branthaven Homes, visit the website at www.branthaven.com.