Industry veterans inducted into BILD Hall of Fame

TORONTO—Two construction industry standouts whose buildings are considered landmarks in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are the newest inductees into the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) Hall of Fame.

Inducted this year is Julie Di Lorenzo, president of Diamante Urban Corp. The firm is recognized as having been in the forefront of the city’s development boom in the mid-to-late 1990s with projects like One Balmoral, Domus in Yorkville, Phoebe on Queen and One City Hall, indicates the BILD media release

She led the association’s board of directors as president in 2005 at a time when provincial growth planning policies were emerging and she became active in intensification issues, the release states.

The second inductee is Al Longo, a long-time member of the association. He began his building career at the age of 18 as a labourer in his father’s construction business.

By 23, Longo was building apartment buildings in Etobicoke and formed his first construction company with his brother. He later went on to build schools, churches, factories and office buildings across the GTA.

Longo served on the association’s board of directors in the 1960s and was elected president in 1971. He was one of the driving forces behind the association’s early support of the National Home Show, says the media release.

The announcements were made at BILD’s annual Chair’s Dinner, held on Jan. 28 at the Sheraton Parkway hotel in Richmond Hill, Ont.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1984 to recognize significant leaders who have made a lasting contribution to the industry and the association.

Two other BILD members have also been honoured.

Margaret Ward of Enbridge Gas Distribution was named Member of the Year for being at the forefront of the association’s growth to 1,480 members by the end of 2015 as chair of the membership committee, states the media release.

Brendan Charters of Eurodale Developments was presented with the Chair’s Award of Merit. As a member of the BILD board and executive committee between 2010-2015, Charters represented the renovation sector and served as leader of the Young BILDers committee.

BILD was formed through the merger of the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association and Urban Development Institute of Ontario.