Key takeaways
What property managers can take from Mike’s capital project playbook
- Ask for bad news fast. Mike wants vendors and project managers to flag problems right away, so owners can decide before an issue affects the schedule, ordering, or cost.
- Spend more time planning up front. He would rather add a couple of weeks at the start than face a $30,000 to $50,000 change order for something nobody captured.
- Design for the operations team. Mike checks that equipment on the drawings can be reached and serviced after handover, so future repairs don’t disrupt tenants.
- Replace aging equipment on your terms. Building condition assessments show what is near the end of its life, and waiting for a pump to fail usually means extra damage.
- Choose technology partners for the long run. Owners won’t fund a new smart building system every six months, so Mike looks for companies that will keep supporting the product.
About the guest
MS
Mike Simon
Senior Director, Capital Projects, Colliers
Mike leads capital projects for Colliers across Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. He started in 1998 in a residential warehouse and maintenance role, earned his power engineering ticket, and ran operations at Brookfield, Shaw Communications, and other Western Canadian portfolios before joining Triovest, now part of Colliers, in 2022.
Episode summary
In this episode
Jared Sarbit talks with Mike Simon, Senior Director of Capital Projects at Colliers. Mike traces his path from a residential maintenance warehouse in 1998 through operations roles at Brookfield, Shaw Communications, and industrial sites across Western Canada, to leading capital projects in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
Mike explains what counts as a capital project, what drives owners to start one, and how he balances life cycle, tenant needs, ESG goals, and return on investment. He shares his rule of bad news fast, how he leads under pressure, what the Colliers and Triovest integration has looked like, and the story of replacing the +15 bridge between Altius Centre and Shell Centre.
He also talks about keeping construction dust out of tenant spaces, which makes this one useful for property managers, asset managers, and anyone who plans building upgrades.
Chapters
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:24Introducing Mike Simon
- 1:44From a maintenance warehouse to Colliers
- 8:00Residential vs commercial maintenance
- 10:22Curiosity and continuous learning
- 12:03Designing projects the operations team can service
- 13:20What counts as a capital project
- 16:36What drives capital projects
- 18:30Managing stakeholders, timelines, and budgets
- 20:58What bad news fast means
- 22:28Leading under pressure
- 25:43Sustainability, sensors, and AI
- 29:02The Colliers and Triovest integration
- 34:03ESG and capital planning trends
- 38:05Replacing the Altius to Shell Centre +15 bridge
- 41:46Keeping projects clean for tenants
Jump to a chapter (16)
- 0:00Episode preview
- 1:24Introducing Mike Simon
- 1:44From a maintenance warehouse to Colliers
- 8:00Residential vs commercial maintenance
- 10:22Curiosity and continuous learning
- 12:03Designing projects the operations team can service
- 13:20What counts as a capital project
- 16:36What drives capital projects
- 18:30Managing stakeholders, timelines, and budgets
- 20:58What bad news fast means
- 22:28Leading under pressure
- 25:43Sustainability, sensors, and AI
- 29:02The Colliers and Triovest integration
- 34:03ESG and capital planning trends
- 38:05Replacing the Altius to Shell Centre +15 bridge
- 41:46Keeping projects clean for tenants
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
I would rather spend an extra couple of weeks at the front end making sure that our plan is robust and we’ve thought of all of the different possibilities.
Mike SimonPlay from 19:39
I treat our projects as if I was spending my money.
Mike SimonPlay from 16:22
How can I remove some roadblocks out of your way so that you can keep doing what you’re doing? What do you need me to take from you… to go back to doing what you do best?
Mike SimonPlay from 24:42
Planning a project in an occupied building?
We’ll walk the building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
Paste the edited transcript here.
FAQ
Capital project questions
What is a capital project in commercial real estate?
Mike Simon describes capital as work that is amortized over a number of years, whether it is recovered from tenants or paid by the owner. That includes lobbies, amenities, and show suites, plus less visible work like roofs, paving, plaza membranes, curtain walls, and window replacements.
What does bad news fast mean on a capital project?
It means vendors and project managers raise problems as soon as they find them. That gives asset managers and owners time to make a decision before the issue delays the schedule, holds up ordering, or adds cost.
How do you keep a building clean during construction?
Mike relies on walk-off mats inside the work area and in front of elevators, general contractors who understand the standard, building memos from property management, and close coordination with the janitorial team so the space looks the same when tenants return in the morning.
More episodes from the podcast
Adam Ludgate of Cirkuit: How Smart Sensors Are Changing Building Operations
Adam Ludgate of Cirkuit explains how wireless sensors catch water leaks within minutes, why insurers are starting to pay attention, and where older buildings should start.
Marty Connelly: 45 Years of Family, Integrity & Condo Management Leadership
Marty Connelly shares what 45 years of family-run condo management in Calgary taught him about responsiveness, hiring, and keeping a personal touch across 100+ properties.
Maria Bartolotti: Resilience, Leadership & Building One of Calgary’s Leading Condo Management Firms
Maria Bartolotti of New Concept Management on nearly leaving the industry, educating condo boards, preventing burnout, and recruiting Alberta’s next condo managers.