“A mayor’s strength is in his ability to get our taxes back from Ottawa. HST will give a new dimension to this task as the HST clearly targets larger and more affluent cities.”
Babak Eslahjou is a Toronto-based, award winning architect. Babak is a specialist in urban residential design and with this expertise has been instrumental in reshaping Toronto’s downtown core.
A career that spans twenty-four years, fourteen in his own firm CORE Architects Inc, he is familiar with most of the communities that comprise the GTA. He has been responsible for the design and execution of a multitude of residential design projects worldwide.
Babak Eslahjou was born in Iran and received his early education in Iran, France and Switzerland then attended high school and early University in the U.S. Babak moved to Toronto where he completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Toronto.
Babak’s internationally influenced design expertise and knowledge of global architecture resulted in Dubai’s Emaar Properties enlisting his firm as a prime consultant entrusting them with site coordination of the 100 million square foot Dubai Marina and the design of a series of residential and commercial communities.
Babak, and the partners at CORE Architects, have worked with developers and owners to complete in excess of forty projects in downtown Toronto, most of which are residential condominium projects. CORE has been an active participant in the reshaping in the historic Garment District and Entertainment District of Toronto. Babak has developed a thorough working knowledge and insights while collaborating with Municipal authorities, members of City Council, the OMB and community/neighbourhood groups.
He has worked closely with some very creative and very staid developers, politicians and bureaucrats in the development of projects.
An expert on the fast-paced development currently taking place in Toronto and emerging urban regions, Babak has spoken at many venues including the Ontario College of Art, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University of Toronto, Cityscape Trade Show in the United Arab Emirates, and the AIGA Y Conference.
Babak is fluent in several languages including English, French and Farsi, with an excellent working knowledge of Italian. His photography of architectural subjects has won several awards. He is an avid skier and swimmer, enthusiastic golfer and crazy soccer fan and big supporter of the Toronto Football Club.
Hi Babak,
I wish you the best in your run.
You may remember me. I was your international trade adviser before you moved into the UAE with Trade Link at the time. I now have my own consulting business.
I have just read your proposal for a charge for car commuting in Toronto and I agree, except that YOU MUST HAVE A DAILY CHARGE, not just monthly or annual.
I live in Richmond Hill and a year ago moved my office from downtown to Markham, mainly because of the commuting. However, I still have to go downtown once, sometimes twice, per week. I try to have as many meetings as I can on those days and a car is essential to do this.
If you were to impose only a monthly charge, not daily, I would complete my move to the 905 by refraining from all future business in Toronto. Toronto would also lose my attendance at a variety of business and social events.
I frequently visit the UK and happily pay the daily congestion charge when I need to visit London. Why not do the same here? I am quite happy to pay, as I already do on the 407. But not if I have to pay for a whole month for a couple of days visits downtown.
If you do not provide a daily charge basis, many business people in my type of situation will cut themselves off from Toronto and stay in the 905 where it is much easier to get around anyway and where there is an ever increasing amount of business available.
Having said all that, I’ll conclude by saying: GOOD LUCK!
Tony Baker,
MAWW Marketing