Two Saanich construction companies are vying for the top prize at the 2017 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards of Vancouver Island.
Mike Geric Construction based on West Saanich Road and Seba Construction based on Cloverdale Avenue are among the six finalists in the category Project of the Year.Seba Construction received its nomination for The Rise, whereas Mike Geric Construction received its nomination for Travino Square. The Saanich duo is competing against four other nominees spread around the Greater Victoria area.
“We are very excited about it,” said Ed Geric, president of Mike Geric Construction. “We have worked very hard and we feel it is well deserved.”
Jamie Gill, owner of Seba Construction, said it is exciting to be nominated. “We are excited to build good projects that stand out in the community,” he said.
Mike Geric Construction received a total of five nominations, whereas Seba Construction received a total of four nominations.
The five nominations for Mike Geric Construction recognize Travino Square, the third of a five-phase condominium project in Saanich’s Royal Oak neighbourhood, where the Geric family has had a long history of building residential projects.
The nominations for Mike Geric Construction include among others a nomination for Green Builder of the Year. This recognition comes after the company won the Business category in the 2017 Saanich Environmental Awards.
Geric said his company have made sustainability and energy efficiency defining hallmarks. “It is absolutely huge,” he said. “It’s on everybody’s mind.” Not surprisingly, Travino Square has drawn considerable interest from other builders and politicians for its environmental features. But what ultimately pleases him the most is the positive response of the people, who have purchased units in Travino Square. “That is ultimately, who we do it for,” he said.
Two of the four nominations for Seba Construction recognize The Rise project. It is not just nominated for Project of the Year, but also in the category Best Single Family Detached Home ($1.5 million to $2 million), where it is competing against two other entries.
Seba Construction also received a nomination for its Cedar Walk project in the Best Multi-Family / Townhouse Project. Notably, the project site caught fire in May of 2016. While the fire totally destroyed the partially-built project, the company persevered.
Gill said the fact that two Saanich businesses are vying for the top prize bears witness to the quality of the local construction industry. “There is an amazing selection of builders out there,” he said. “It would be nice to have more Saanich [companies],” he said.
Far from being rivals, local companies often work together, he said.
The Victoria Residential Builders Association (VRBA) created the CARE Awards in 1991 and the list of nominees announced Monday include a total of 30 building projects in Saanich as well as 11 Saanich-based businesses.
“These outstanding projects demonstrate how West Coast living is an important part of home design and construction in our region,” said Maurizio Conforti, chair of the 2017 CARE Awards. “I congratulate the [finalists] on their achievement and leadership in sustainable building practices.”
A panel of industry professionals selected the finalists, using criteria such as architectural design, quality workmanship, creative use of space, and energy efficiency.
A gala scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20 at the Fairmont Empress Hotel will announce the eventual winners, including the People’s Choice Award chosen from the Project of the Year nominees. The public will be able to select from finalist photos displayed at Hillside Centre from August 28 to Sept 10.
Displays are also available at www.careawards.ca and voters can win a stay at the Long Beach Lodge Resort.
For a full list of categories and nominees, click here.
The list of Saanich-based firms to be recognized includes:
- Coast Prestige Homes
- East Bay Developments
- Gary Sandhu Developments
- GT Mann Contracting
- Integral Design
- Mike Geric Construction
- R. Parsons Construction
- Ryan Hoyt Designs
- Seba Construction
- Seabrook Developments
- Step One Design
- The list of Saanich-based projects includes:
- Backfit Clinic
- Cedar Walk
- Cordova Bay
- Country Estate
- Curve Appeal
- Element
- Expanded Spaces
- Fable Beach
- Iron Mountain
- King Residence
- Lakeview Chic
- Modern Acres
- Queenswood
- Synergy
- The Haven
- Travino Square
- Urban Retreat
- Waterfront Lane
