HOMES, BUILDING COMMUNITIES: How Rohit Leads in the Industry

Since 1986 Rohit has been a driving force in building sustainable communities, as a home builder and as a leader in the construction industry.

“Rohit is a real estate opportunity company that has developed specialty residential and commercial projects across Canada for over 35 years. At Rohit Communities and the Rohit Group, our purpose is to help everyone feel better about where they live and this drives everything we do,” says Michael Dziubina, Rohit Communities vice president, Calgary region. “It means offering purposefully designed homes and communities. Every detail has been carefully chosen with functionality, design and people in mind. Our interiors offer professionally curated, elevated and elegant designs that are approachable and attainable for our homeowners. Our focus is on helping our customers first and selling product second. We are real estate experts, and we look to lend that expertise to help our clients navigate their search for a home.”

Leadership is an important value in every aspect of Rohit’s operations.

Dziubina explains, “Our leadership team provides holistic guidance, shaping every problem into an opportunity for improvement. Rohit Communities takes an active role in home building associations on municipal and provincial levels to help shape and support the industry.”

The company is well known for giving back to the communities in which it operates. This principle has been a part of Rohit from day one.

“Our founder, Radhe Gupta, believes that giving is the only way of receiving,” says Dziubina. “When people perceive you as a giver, they work with you and want to be with you. If anyone is the beneficiary of a charity, it is the giver. This belief is an inherent element of our corporate governance.”

He smiles and continues, “It’s all part of helping everyone to feel good about where they live – be it their city, neighborhood or home through our expertise in home building and in building communities through volunteering and giving back.”

Rohit Communities Calgary Region is pleased to have homes located in the University District, which is managed by the University of Calgary Properties Group (UCPG). The UCPG is a leader in developing spaces where Calgarians thrive.

“The University District offers us an opportunity to showcase our unique designer product lines including our popular stacked townhomes and apartment condos,” says Dziubina. “Situated in the northwest corner by the North Pond, our location gives buyers the best access to CF Market Mall while being only two blocks from the wellestablished retail main street on University Ave.”

He concludes with why Rohit is proud to offer their high-quality, designer homes in the city.

“Calgary’s people, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community make it a great place to live, work and visit. Calgary’s diverse population is friendly, welcoming and community-oriented, creating a sense of belonging for newcomers and long-time residents alike. Additionally, the city’s entrepreneurial spirit is exemplified by the numerous innovative startups and small businesses that thrive in the city.” developer recognized locally and nationally for changing the face of real estate. As an active community member, UCPG is making a huge impact in the city. UCPG supports I Can for Kids (iCAN), a program alleviating food insecurity, and sponsorships like the Business in Calgary Leaders Awards event highlighting the achievements of changemakers and innovators across industries to celebrate pinnacle leadership fuelling Calgary’s economy.

Learn more at rohitcommunities.com.

Since the beginning, UCPG set out to build a community that offers diverse housing options, a great balance of residential and retail spaces and an amenity-rich place where people want to live, work and play. UCPG’s development projects currently include the nationally acclaimed community of University District and revitalization of University Innovation Quarter.

Launching University District

University District is located in northwest Calgary and the community started to emerge in 2011 when the Board of Directors were appointed. Construction began in 2015, and since then, the community has grown exponentially with nine completed residential projects, an estimated 2,000 residents, and over 30 retailers on Retail Main Street. University District is anticipated to be completed in 2034.

The Discovery Centre is an active hub housing the builder sales teams and is designed to promote the vision of University District. It launched in 2017 and quickly generated ongoing buzz and interest as new builders and retailers joined this unique mixed-use community. The first residents moved in 2018 and UCPG continued to deliver on a strong community experience.

In 2020, University District launched its first stage of retail which was anchored around the Save-On-Foods grocery store and extended to include Monogram, Curious, Denim & Smith, Market Wines, YYC Cycle, Five Guys, OEB Breakfast Co., Orangetheory Fitness and Pet Planet, all conveniently located along Retail Main Street.

“In the last 100 years, we might have picked one of the worst possible times to open retail, but in working with our retailers, we had many successful openings in 2020. We managed to keep all of our retailers up and operating within COVID-19 guidelines and those retailers are still here today,” Robertson says. “Residents and visitors to the community really supported retail and while it was tough over COVID-19, we came out of it quite strong.”

The real estate market has fluctuated dramatically over the past few years, virtually grinding to a halt when COVID-19 first hit to surging back once restrictions relented. A storm of significant supply chain issues on everything from appliances to building supplies alongside spiking inflation and interest rates didn’t spare the industry.

“Interestingly enough, it appears to have impacted places outside of Alberta and particularly outside of Calgary more than it did Calgary, so with our relatively affordable housing rates combined with the pressures of the interest rates, we’re starting to see a fairly significant immigration to our city,” he says. What has resulted is a housing market that maintains a balanced volume and a strong demand for U/D’s diverse residential styles for new and long-time Calgarians alike.