goals,” Navi continues, “and because they’re the sites that others don’t want to compete on, we can buy land for well below what others are paying for land. Then we can find ways to work collaboratively with the city to get an increased yield. That’s a big advantage for us.” When it comes to working with cities, Gagan adds that they tend to be successful because they don’t take a “contentious” approach: “We want to work alongside the city,” she explains. “We really focus on achieving the city’s goals, not just our own goals. We familiarize ourselves with the local area plans and mandate of council, we talk with neighborhood associations, we find out what their community really needs and wants. We believe that approach earns us a bit more buy-in from city stakeholders. They look to us for innovate solutions because they see that our projects work in their favour as well.” The company also builds relationships with cities and communities by getting personally involved in them. Navi and Gagan are members of the homeless committees in Abbotsford. Gagan is also a professor of finance and volunteers within multiple communities to teach financial literacy to at-risk youth and women. “Having that community focus helps us to get in the room and helps us to be heard when we have a creative solution,” Gagan says. Again, once Azure Properties Group has collaborated with a city and shepherded a project through the entitlement process, they have the option of either selling the constructionMAY 2023
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