Global
Deal maker

Fund manager

 

 

 

 

ANDREA ENG   伍慧芬

From her base in Hong Kong, Andrea Eng conceived the mixed-use development project at 500-550 Queen's Quay West in Toronto and created the development team for Pacific Century Group's first and only real estate project in North America.    The original design Bruce Kuwabara and Shirley Bloomberg was intended to showcase as the 'string of pearls' along the waterfront of Downtown Toronto in Canada.   Due to Andrea's efforts, three levels of government - federal, provincial, civic, and her lawyers - worked to realign a road and to beautify the area directly across the street where Cellist YO-YO MA opened the park named after him in Toronto across the street from her project.

As Real Estate Fund Manager for zillionaire Richard Li, Andrea Eng developed 500,000 sq ft of luxury residential on the waterfront of Downtown Toronto at 500 and 550 Queen's Quay West for Asian  billionaire Richard Li.   With the development team she created the footprint - the brown and beige - for the development on the 2.5 acre site across from an existing marina.

This is the view of the public space created, due to the realignment of Queen's Quay West along Toronto's Harbourfront area. 

Not as much detail translated to the final product in the end, although the product turned out to be still refined.   She fought hard for 8'6" ceiling heights.   What does Hong Kong construction guy know about Torontonian's taste for housing?!   Many Grzzz moments...not what people with think.   Can you imagine an experienced construction fellow proposing reducing the level of carparks in this location and instead replacing with stacking equipment so one could place the Land Rover atop the Mercedes 500 S-class.   What?  No fireplaces?   Has Dr. Tong ever lived in Toronto in the winter time?   Hmmm...a lot of detail people never really think of.

This is the courtyard between the two horseshoe-shaped buildings.

500 & 550 Queen's Quay West was subsequently developed  for the Chief by  a different development team who regretfully did not have the same passion of "Real Estate as Art" .   

Still though, the project was one of the most profitable because of the success of our presales - $78 million raised on first day of launch.   The Chief was pleased with financial outcome of this project because Andrea acquired the lands at a 'bargain basement price'   - that is Andrea Eng's unique skill - at sleuthing and deal-finding in places no others would look.    Facts speak for itself.   There's no point disputing her gutsy conviction to turn the drawers to beyond renderings, and a real commitment and creation of thousand of man years worth of jobs for Canadians.  It turned out to be a winner for the group.  

The penthouse was featured on the cover of Canadian Interiors magazine in August 2001 as Canada's Best.   Andrea acquired the 2.5 acre site from the Royal Bank of Canada and at the time it was  considered one of the most astute real estate acquisitions in Canada that year.  Andrea headed the development team and  successfully pre-sold the entire development prior to construction.

In Asia,  she acquired property on Nassim Road in Singapore and her signature deal in Asia was the acquisition of strategic waterfront property in Shek-O in Hong Kong for one of the region's richest tycoons.  

Prior to her move to Asia, Andrea brokered commercial & investment real estate and was Vice President at Colliers where she started the company's significant Asia Pacific practice in the 80's which blossomed in the 90's.   When she joined the blue chip company in 1981, she was the firm's first female investment broker ever since the firms founding in 1898.    She continued to pioneer in the business world and set national sales records as amongst the Top 5 in revenues in a company with over 400 sales brokers.    She was uniquely positioned and dealt with most of Asia's very rich because at that time no investment banks took note of the significant Asian money that was floating into the West.



Her signature transaction in brokerage broker was  the sale of Vancouver's downtown landmark, Hotel Georgia which she brokered three times over a period of ~10 years.  Her involvement in this property demonstrates the diversity of her clientele and her ability to select profitable investments with precise timing:   from local to Singaporean investor --> Hong Kong based investor --> Canadian institution .    The property was owned by an REIT which is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange but has now since transacted back to the original vendor who was involved with Eng on this spectacular location.   They are.  As broker, she won the award of Top Investment Broker in Vancouver in 1989 and was one deemed "Successor to Canadian Business" by Canadian Business Magazine.

Andrea continues to forefront in the international business world and remains one of  a handful of real estate professionals who invests directly and has an operating network on four continents.                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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