Saturday, September 28, 2024 
Saturday, September 28, 2024
May 7, 2020
Construction cranes that had been idled due to the COVID-19 crisis are swinging back into action on a growing number of building sites these days.
But real estate developers continue to carefully assess the impact of the pandemic on their projects, while also dealing with strict government regulations to ensure the coronavirus doesn’t spread, not to mention trying to forecast the longer-term outlook for the industry.
At Montreal condo developer Conceptions Rachel-Julien Inc., three of four project sites have restarted after the Quebec government eased restrictions on construction activity, said vice-president and director-general Mélanie Robitaille.
Right now, the priority is getting back to work on condo units slated for delivery on July 31, she said.
Measures her company has put in place include closing off multiple entrances to the sites, leaving only one central access point where workers are questioned daily about their health status and told to wash their hands. Employees are also asked to stay onsite throughout the workday and refrain as much as possible from proximity to other workers.
Only one individual in each condo unit room is allowed to do work at any one time.
“It can at times be less productive. It will create some delays,” Ms. Robitaille said. For example, handling bulky kitchen cabinets requires at least two people but the mandated two-metre physical distancing may not always be possible and workarounds must be found.
Hand-washing stations have been set up and masks, gloves and visors are provided, she added.
Barry Fenton, president and chief executive officer of Toronto-based Lanterra Developments, says workers’ temperatures are taken at all sites. He’s confident about being able to successfully manage the company’s condo projects despite the restrictions. Lanterra has about 3,000 units under construction in the Bay-Wellesley-Yonge area of Toronto.
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