Specialty property management, system by system.
Cold storage, data centres, sports and recreation facilities, and institutional buildings and places of worship, where the systems and operators that make them work decide their value. Across Ontario and Alberta.
What does specialty property management involve?
Specialty property management is running buildings whose value comes from a specialized use: keeping the systems that define them inspected and maintained, drawing a clear line between the landlord’s responsibilities and the operator’s, and planning capital for the building and its equipment on their own cycles, so the building keeps working for the use it was built for.
Systems that define the use
Refrigeration, power and cooling, air-supported structures and assembly-space systems are what make these buildings work, so their maintenance, inspections and useful lives are managed as closely as the building itself.
Landlord and operator split
Special-purpose buildings are often run day to day by an operator or a specialist tenant, so every lease is read for who maintains, insures and replaces each system, and the landlord’s side is managed without stepping on the operator’s.
Inspections and compliance
Refrigeration plants, pressure equipment, fire protection and places of assembly carry inspection and certification requirements, so the schedule is tracked and certificates are kept current for insurers and authorities.
Specialized capital planning
Specialized equipment has its own replacement cycle, apart from the building’s, so capital plans separate the shell from the systems and budget for both before a failure forces the decision.
Every special-purpose building. Each with its own systems.
Cold Storage & Food Facilities
Freezer and cooler warehouses and food-processing buildings, where refrigeration, insulated envelopes, floors and dock seals carry the value and the risk.
Data Centres
Data centre and powered shell buildings, where the operator usually runs the critical systems and the landlord’s side covers the site, shell, utilities and lease.
Sports & Recreation
Domes, racquet clubs, arenas and industrial-conversion sports facilities, managed around air-supported structures, seasonal changeovers and operator programming.
Institutional & Places of Worship
Places of worship, community and other institutional buildings, often owned by non-profits with volunteer boards, where budgets, community rentals and building condition need steady management.
Every system with a clear owner.
- 01
Building, systems and lease review
We walk the building with its defining systems in mind, and read the leases and any operating agreements for who maintains, insures and replaces each one.
- 02
Responsibilities and capital plan
We set out the landlord’s and the operator’s responsibilities clearly, schedule inspections and certificates, and plan the shell and the specialized systems on their own cycles.
- 03
Handover
Leases, operating agreements, deposits, service contracts, keys and records are transferred, and tenants and operators are notified in writing with no gap in collections.
- 04
Ongoing management
Rent, recoveries, inspections and reporting run on a fixed calendar, with the operator kept informed and capital work planned before equipment fails.
Priced on the property’s revenue, tiered by service.
The fee is based on the revenue the building produces and tiered by the level of service it needs, from lease and financial administration where an operator runs the building to full-service management. We quote after reviewing the leases, operating agreements and systems; contact us for details. See also our commercial property management service and our specialty practices in cold chain, data centres and sports and recreation.
Specialty property management, answered.
What is specialty property management?
Specialty property management is running special-purpose buildings, such as cold storage, data centres, sports and recreation facilities and places of worship, on the owner’s behalf, with the building’s defining systems and its operator relationships at the centre: collecting rent and recoveries, administering leases, maintaining the shell and site, tracking inspections and planning capital work for specialized equipment.
What is different about managing a cold storage building?
The refrigeration system, insulated envelope, floors and dock seals are as important as the structure, and the refrigeration system has its own replacement cycle. The lease decides whether the tenant or the landlord maintains and replaces it. Refrigeration plants are regulated provincially, so inspections and certificates are tracked alongside the building’s own.
Who manages the critical systems in a leased data centre?
Usually the operator or tenant, which runs power, cooling and the data hall to its own standards. The landlord’s manager looks after the site, the building shell, shared utilities, insurance, recoveries and the lease. Where the lease puts systems on the landlord, we coordinate with specialist contractors rather than replace the operator’s expertise.
What does managing an air-supported sports dome involve?
The fabric membrane, inflation and backup systems, anchoring and snow and wind response matter as much as the field inside, and seasonal domes add installation and take-down each year. The operator usually runs programming and day-to-day use, while the landlord’s side covers the site, structure, systems agreements, insurance and capital planning, as the lease sets out.
Do you manage buildings owned by non-profits and places of worship?
Yes. We manage places of worship, community and institutional buildings for non-profit owners, including community rentals to other groups, building maintenance and capital planning, with reporting that a volunteer board can follow.
How much does specialty property management cost?
Our fees are based on the property’s revenue, tiered by the level of service the building needs, from financial and lease administration where an operator runs the building to full-service management. Special-purpose buildings vary widely, so we quote after reviewing the leases, operating agreements and building systems. Contact us for details.
Do you manage specialty property in both Ontario and Alberta?
Yes. We manage cold storage, data centre, sports and recreation, institutional and other special-purpose property across Ontario and Alberta.
Tell us about the building. We'll tell you what it needs.
Share the property, its use and operator, and how it is run today, and we’ll recommend a service tier and quote a fee for it. No obligation.