Page 4 - Summer 2024 TYC Magazine

The YORI<. Club Magazine Summer 2024 Edition

Interview: Building Blocks

RP. C. Chair Mr. Stuart Lazier on pro/·ett involvemen0 Club future

Stuart L azier is the Chair of the Club's Renovation Planning
Committee. H e recent!J sat do1Vn during the daJJJn ef the prrject's
construction phase to discuss his involvement and vision for the
Club.

Carlos Verde (CV, The York Club): Mr. Lazier, let's begin
by discussing your affiliation with the Club. When did
you join, and how did you become involved with the
R.PC.?
Stuart Lazier (SL): We became Members in 2013, mainly
to be able to dine in the elegance of the old Gooderham
home and perhaps build some new relationships in the
Club's community. Three years later I was asked to bring
some real estate expertise to the House Committee. Since
I have been in the real estate investment business for
many years, I think that I was able to offer some
constructive thoughts on planning for the future capital
projects at the Club. The way the Club had previously
managed the maintenance and major capital projects was
on an ad hoc basis annually. There really was no
long-term plan for executing or funding the restoration
of our wonderful century-old home.
In 2018 then-Chair D avid Shaw and his Board saw the
need for a proper long-term plan that included real estate
but also included many other improvements to the Club
experience. This process led to a detailed member survey
which provided critical strategic information that would
end up being the basis for the Renovation Planning
Committee program.
CV: What were a few of the challenges the R.PC. has
faced?
SL: Firstly, we had to put the right membership team
togetl1er, Members witl1 design, accounting, real estate
backgrounds as well as Members that knew our
community well. Of course, that wasn't really a challenge
because we have m any qualified Members that deeply
care about our 'home away from home'. We also had an old and four feet off the ground. While we couldn't
organizational approach from the beginning to ensure reach a cost-effective solution or an acceptable ramp
continuity throughout the renovation project. All of our design, we have added accessible washrooms on both
Members who got involved in 2019 are still involved. floors for men and women as well as in the new garden
One of the biggest challenges we had was to design pavilion. Membership support and an affordable
external accessibility into a building that's over 100 years construction budget were two other challenges.
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