Latest news with #Ilich
Vancouver Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. cuts Metro Vancouver developers a break from soaring fees, backstopped by $250 million in federal cash
The B.C. government is lending a hand to the ailing homebuilding industry in the province's most populous region, effectively slashing development charges for many projects already in the pipeline. The province confirmed to Postmedia News that for residential projects in Metro Vancouver initiated before March 2024, fees to pay for growth-related infrastructure, such as water, wastewater and parks, will be reduced. Developers of these 'in-stream' projects will be able to pay development cost charges under the old fee structure, instead of the new one that more than tripled this year. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Metro's funding shortfall from the reduced development charges will be backstopped by $250 million from the federal government. The move is being welcomed by some of B.C.'s biggest development companies. The industry had lobbied for some kind of relief since the higher fees were unveiled in 2023, warning the increases would kill previously viable projects. Rick Ilich, CEO of Townline, a major Vancouver-area developer of strata and rental housing, called the in-stream protections a 'bold move' that will protect thousands of jobs in Metro and provides a measure of certainty in an uncertain time. The change is unlikely to make a major difference for many Vancouver-area condo projects considering the state of the overall market, Ilich said, but it could help some rental projects get 'unstuck.' Townline has three projects in Vancouver, totalling 670 rental and 380 strata units, that will benefit from the change and will move forward, Ilich said. While the province, the federal government and many municipal governments are aligned on the goal of dramatically boosting housing supply, several factors — including increasing costs of all kinds, a tight labour market, a U.S. trade war and related uncertainty — are converging to create a challenging market environment for residential projects to proceed. Some of B.C.'s largest development and real estate companies, including Wesgroup and Rennie , have recently laid of significant portions of their staff. Metro's new fee structure was set in 2023, representing increases as high as 255 per cent over three years. It was implemented over the objections of developers and, in a rare case, Canada's then-housing minister , who cautioned the increases were so dramatic that they would render several planned developments unviable. The fee hikes were approved by a vote of Metro's board of directors, a body made up of mayors and councillors from throughout the region, who argued that, despite the industry's protests, development fee hikes were needed to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades. That federal funding commitment was announced late last year, and since then, representatives of the B.C. and Canadian governments have been negotiating the terms of the deal, said B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon on Monday. The two parties reached an agreement on March 22 of this year — which wasn't publicly known until now, Kahlon said — that applies the old, lower DCCs to projects whose applications were submitted prior to March 22, 2024, and whose permits are issued before March 22, 2026. 'It's using federal dollars to lower the cost of construction so we can continue to see housing supplied,' Kahlon said. 'We spent many months trying to negotiate this, and certainly, it's an example of what can happen when you have partnerships between the federal government, the development industry, as well as the province.' Under Metro's new fee structure, which took effect Jan. 1, development charges for each purpose-built rental apartment more than tripled from $6,249 per unit to $20,906. Kahlon has heard some people describe these kinds of moves as government handouts to the development industry, but he disputes that characterization. 'Having sat down with both not-for-profit builders and private builders, and gone through their pro-formas, I can say that this will be the difference between housing happening, and it not happening. It's not the difference between somebody making a little bit of money and a lot of money,' Kahlon said. 'There's a big difference between the two.' Metro estimated that allowing developers to pay the old, lower charges would mean the regional government needed to recoup about $220 million to make up for the shortfall, said Heather McNeil, Metro's deputy CAO. 'But there's no revenue coming in if projects don't move forward,' she said. Municipalities collect development cost charges and submit them to Metro twice a year. Metro couldn't immediately provide the number of projects and total homes affected by this change. In a written statement, Metro board chairman Mike Hurley, the mayor of Burnaby, said: 'Allowing more time to continue paying 2024 rates offers developers more financial certainty for eligible developments, which can help to advance housing, support local jobs and stimulate the economy.' Urban Development Institute president Anne McMullin said the in-stream protection period is 'a meaningful step that reflects the realities of today's development environment.' 'Current high-cost conditions have placed significant pressure on project viability, and without this change, many projects would not have been able to proceed,' McMullin said. 'This change demonstrates a practical understanding of the barriers facing the industry and helps ease some of the immediate pressure on projects, so they can move forward.' dfumano@
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Auckland City aiming to do amateur football proud in Bayern Munich mismatch
Were you looking for a symbol to exemplify the gulf that lies between Auckland City Football Club and their rivals at the Club World Cup, you would find it at Kiwitea Street, the team's home ground. Hard up against the Sandringham suburb it serves, the roofs of the surrounding city's single-storey bungalows are visible from the one enclosed stand, and to the north there is nothing but the modest clubhouse and some incidental shrubbery to impede views of the Sky Tower's lonely tenancy in the distant skyline. This, certainly, is no towering football cathedral of the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City call home. Advertisement Related: Borrowed culture and a plasticine burger – welcome to the Club World Cup and almost-football | Barney Ronay On Sunday, the team more used to this humble environment and the 100-to-500 fans who usually turn out to watch will line up against one of the world's most famous and decorated clubs, Bayern Munich, Auckland City's first opponents in a group also containing Benfica and Boca Juniors. 'To be honest, I don't know if we have ever seen a matchup like this in sport,' the assistant coach Adrià Casals tells the Guardian from Chattanooga, Tennessee. 'But we can only play the game in front of us.' And what a game, one that represents the chance for footballers of more modest talents to test themselves against some of the world's best: Thomas Müller and Harry Kane could find themselves sharing the pitch with a genuine democratic cross-section of New Zealand life. 'All sorts,' says the captain, Mario Ilich, of a team containing a barber, a teacher, a real-estate agent and university students. Ilich himself works in the sales department of Coca-Cola, a job around which he moulds his football commitments, training three or four times a week after work and making frequent demands on his employer's goodwill in order to travel overseas. 'I've taken all my annual leave for this trip, so I won't be going on a holiday with my partner this year, that's for sure,' he says. The team qualified thanks to its long-standing domination of Oceania's Champions League, which they have won a record 13 times, most recently by beating Papua New Guinea's Hekari United in the Solomon Islands at the end of another leave-sapping football trip earlier this year. And while there are two professional clubs in New Zealand – the recently inaugurated Auckland Football Club and Wellington Phoenix – they compete in the Australian A-League, and, because they are not allowed to play in the Asian Confederation's continental competitions, they have no opportunity to qualify for the Club World Cup. Advertisement As it stands, this year marks the 12th time Auckland City have flown the Oceania flag at the Club World Cup — the team came third in 2014 — but because of its new group-based format, Sunday represents the first time they will meet a European team. The club's qualification has been assured since late 2023, but for Ilich the prospect of playing in the biggest game of his life has hardly sunk in. Even to see the Auckland City crest arranged next to that of Bayern Munich, he says, seems peculiar and much of the side's conversations have been about playing against teams they had grown up admiring as fans. Ilich is 'under no illusions' as to the size of the challenge, even if he seemed to allow for the chance of a fairytale. 'We all have a dream and that is to win football games, whatever game you're in. We know the task at hand is very difficult, but we want to just go out and make it as hard as possible for the opposition, and to just give the best performance we can.' For Casals, a Barcelona native who was 'running away from the game' when he settled in New Zealand only to be sucked back into its orbit by the club, Auckland City are playing not just for themselves, but for the vast majority of players worldwide who never get anywhere near the professional level. Advertisement 'We represent like 95% of the world's footballers. If we can stay true to who we are, if we can be brave, then we can make a lot of people proud of us and everything we represent as an amateur club from a small nation in the middle of nowhere.' At Kiwitea Street, as Saturday morning's rain retreated in a veil of towering clouds, a couple hundred fans watched as an Auckland City team robbed of their entire first-choice squad went down 2-1 to Waiheke United in New Zealand's national knockout tournament, the Chatham Cup. But thoughts were already turning to 4am Monday morning, New Zealand time, when players that fans were used to sharing a post-game drink with will make their cameos on football's global stage. Some hoped Auckland City would have a chance to express themselves, others that their team wouldn't be thrashed, that results wouldn't give succour to those opposed to Oceania's direct entry. Half a world away, Ilich and his teammates are doing their best to make those hopes a reality. 'We're fully focused on our performance and our plan, and on making sure everyone's on the same page. That way we can hopefully give the best representation of Oceania, of New Zealand, of our city and our club.'
CNN
13-06-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Meet the amateur New Zealand team aiming to topple soccer's biggest names at the FIFA Club World Cup
As FIFA's revamped expanded Club World Cup kicks off in the United States on Saturday, most fans' eyes will be firmly fixed on the plethora of soccer superstars competing for up to $125 million, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland all taking part with their respective clubs. However, the remarkable story of amateur side Auckland City FC has flown under the radar, with the Oceania team's players set to embark on the trip of a lifetime to test themselves against some of the world's elite. Based in the North Shore suburb of New Zealand's largest city, the club boasts a squad comprised solely of players who work or study full-time in addition to their soccer careers. From forklift drivers to soda salesmen and real estate agents, the rise of the small New Zealand side to the apex of the global club game has been likened by some to the narrative of a Hollywood script. Having been crowned as the Oceania Champions League winner last year, Auckland City booked its place at the tournament and became the continent's sole representative in the process. Drawn in a group featuring 34-time German champion Bayern Munich, Portuguese giant Benfica, and iconic Argentine side Boca Juniors, the Auckland City squad will look to create soccer history as they compete against some of the sport's greatest players over the next fortnight. Speaking to CNN Sports, team captain Mario Ilich described how his side's 'love of the game' was the driving force behind its historic qualification. 'People say that professional players work hard, which they do, but we are trying to compete at the top level of the game while holding down two, and in some cases three, jobs.' Ilich, who earns his living as a sales representative for Coca-Cola, detailed the hectic routine most of the squad follows on a daily basis. Without the multi-million-dollar training complexes available to many elite European teams, Auckland City players need to cram in the majority of their gym and recovery work outside of club facilities. 'My normal day begins around 5 a.m. when the alarm goes off. I'm up and off to the gym for an hour before returning to grab breakfast and make it to the office for 8 a.m. 'I try to finish up before 5 p.m. so I can make it across town to training, which gets underway at 6 p.m. We'll spend about two hours on the grass, and I'll get home at about 9 p.m. before heading to bed to prepare to do it all again the next day.' The Navy Blues train four evenings per week, with their New Zealand Regional League fixtures usually played on Saturdays. It's a schedule that doesn't lend itself to much of a life away from the office or soccer pitch and can take its toll, not just on the players, but on their families and friends too. 'I only get to see my partner on a Friday night really, or the odd Sunday, but thankfully she is very understanding of the finite nature of a player's career and allows me to pursue my dreams,' Ilich said. Auckland City FC goalkeeper Conor Tracey recalled the moment he and the rest of the playing squad learned the results of the Club World Cup group stage draw. 'You'll never forget a moment like that,' Tracey told CNN, describing how the players and management met up at 6 a.m. to watch the draw live from the Auckland City clubhouse before heading to their respective jobs. 'As each team was pulled out, our jaws just kept dropping closer to the floor. Each side has such an incredible history and reputation in the sport – it really is the dream draw in terms of who you want to test yourself against.' For Tracey, who spends his days on the warehouse floor of a veterinary pharmaceuticals company, the tournament will be 'the pinnacle' of his career. However, with manual handling and frequent heavy lifting required in his day job, he has recently struggled with injury. 'My job can be extremely physical and can take its toll on my body. I've been far more prone to injuries than a regular goalkeeper, given the lack of time we have for adequate recovery too. 'I won't lie – it can be really hard mentally, especially when you're trying to deal with the dark mornings and nights in winter,' Tracey added. 'There have been a few occasions where I've thought about giving up on football, and lots of guys have done that over the years, with it just being too much with family and career. But the Club World Cup has been a goal worth putting in the hard yards for.' The difficulty in dealing with the demands of elite football while attempting to balance an 'ordinary' job is one that resonates with Auckland City vice-captain Adam Mitchell. Mitchell thought he had achieved his childhood dream when he secured a move to former European Cup winner Red Star Belgrade in the nascent stages of his career. However, a lack of gametime saw him move on to club soccer in Slovenia, followed by a short stint in the lower tiers of English football with Bolton Wanderers. A point was reached where Mitchell had to decide whether to continue to pursue his professional soccer dream or return to New Zealand, with the prospect of a more secure income from selling real estate proving to be the decisive factor in his decision. 'At a young age, it's a lot of people's dream to make the big time and become a professional player, but I think a lot of the time people don't realize how hard and competitive it can be,' Mitchell told CNN Sports. 'There are thousands of players fighting for just a handful of contracts. So, when you don't end up in the glitz and glamor of elite soccer – where there are no big houses or flashy cars – you can find it very tough, especially if you are away in a foreign country.' Thankfully for Mitchell, playing for Auckland City presents him with the opportunity to continue chasing his soccer dreams, albeit in a different way than many would imagine. As the kickoff to the team's opening group game against six-time Champions Leasgue winner Bayern draws ever closer, the magnitude of the occasion is not lost on the veteran defender, who hopes his squad's exploits can stoke a fresh wave of excitement among New Zealand's sporting public. 'I remember watching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a young kid. I have such vivid memories of the excitement when New Zealand got three draws. So it is a huge opportunity to do the same thing at club level and represent our country and region with pride,' Mitchell said. With each of Bayern, two-time European Cup winner Benfica and six-time Copa Libertadores winner Boca Juniors boasting World Cup winners among their ranks, the Navy Blues will truly be pitting themselves against the world's best. For Ilich, the prospect of facing nine-time Bundesliga winner Joshua Kimmich in midfield is one he relishes. 'As a midfielder myself, I've always looked at the way Kimmich plays the game, so to test myself against him will be pretty cool. Jamal Musiala is another who is just an incredible dribbler and creator. Their quality all over the field is insane, to be honest,' he told CNN. Goalkeeper Tracey will line up against the 'revolutionary' Manuel Neuer, a player he credits with modernizing the way the position is played. Despite the reverence he holds towards the Bayern captain, forklift driver Tracey is determined to show the World Cup winner that his Auckland City side have not just traveled to the US to take in the tourist sights. In the defensive line, vice-captain Mitchell can scarcely believe he will be tasked with containing England's record goalscorer Harry Kane, whom he adamantly labels as one of the best strikers of this generation. With names of such stature as opponents, the Auckland City squad is 'under no illusions' as to how difficult its task is, according to skipper Ilich. However, the amateur side heads to the United States with an unwavering belief that anything can happen, no matter how great the odds. 'They are on millions and millions of dollars, and we are just amateurs playing for the love of the game,' Ilich said to CNN Sports. 'But what we have is that we are all mates on and off the pitch and are going to compete so hard for one another. 'If we execute our coach's plan and give it our best shot, who knows what can happen? At the end of the day, it's just 11 players versus 11 players. 'So, we are just going to go there and do what we have always done: dream big.'
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
The Skipper at the Heart our Club World Cup™ Journey
Press Release – Auckland City FC AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Auckland City FC is gearing up for one of the biggest challenges in its storied history, the FIFA Club World Cup ™ 2025 in the United States. Leading the charge is none other than club captain Mario Ilich, a stalwart defender who embodies the spirit of the team both on and off the pitch. Since making his debut in February 2012, Ilich has become the backbone of Auckland City FC's defence, playing 161 matches and even finding the net 13 times. But beyond the numbers, it's his leadership, intelligence, and sheer physicality that set him apart. As captain, he sets the standards, rallying his teammates and ensuring that Auckland City FC competes at the highest level. For Ilich, football is more than just a game, it's a passion rooted in his home city of Auckland. 'I grew up in Auckland and lived here most of my life,' he says. 'It's such a great city, it's got a bit of everything. Beaches, lovely walks, yeah, lots of great golf courses.' His deep connection with the city and its people makes him the perfect leader to represent Auckland on the global stage. A typical day in his life reflects the relentless dedication that has fuelled his success. 'Wake up at 5 a.m., gym, breakfast, then off to work by 7:30, finish by 5, straight to training for two hours, home by 8:30 or 9, dinner, and then do it all again.' This unwavering commitment is why he is admired not just by his teammates, but also by the young players who look up to him. 'All the kids that come and watch our games, all the kids we coach in schools, they all look up to us.' As Auckland City FC embarks on its Club World Cup™ quest, the team understands the gravity of the competition. 'Knowing that we'll be representing New Zealand at the FIFA Club World Cup™ 2025 is a huge privilege,' says Ilich. 'Obviously, we know how hard it's going to be coming up against massive teams and big players, but let's see what can happen.' With Ilich at the helm, Auckland City FC is more than just a team, it's a symbol of pride for the city of Auckland and a beacon of inspiration for young footballers across New Zealand. As the team prepares for battle on football's biggest stage, one thing is certain: their captain will lead them with determination, heart, and an unshakable connection to the city he calls home. Auckland City will take on European powerhouse Bayern Munich, Portuguese giants SL Benfica, and Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors in Group C of the FIFA Club World Cup™.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
The Skipper at the Heart our Club World Cup™ Journey
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC is gearing up for one of the biggest challenges in its storied history, the FIFA Club World Cup ™ 2025 in the United States. Leading the charge is none other than club captain Mario Ilich, a stalwart defender who embodies the spirit of the team both on and off the pitch. Since making his debut in February 2012, Ilich has become the backbone of Auckland City FC's defence, playing 161 matches and even finding the net 13 times. But beyond the numbers, it's his leadership, intelligence, and sheer physicality that set him apart. As captain, he sets the standards, rallying his teammates and ensuring that Auckland City FC competes at the highest level. For Ilich, football is more than just a game, it's a passion rooted in his home city of Auckland. 'I grew up in Auckland and lived here most of my life,' he says. 'It's such a great city, it's got a bit of everything. Beaches, lovely walks, yeah, lots of great golf courses.' His deep connection with the city and its people makes him the perfect leader to represent Auckland on the global stage. A typical day in his life reflects the relentless dedication that has fuelled his success. 'Wake up at 5 a.m., gym, breakfast, then off to work by 7:30, finish by 5, straight to training for two hours, home by 8:30 or 9, dinner, and then do it all again.' This unwavering commitment is why he is admired not just by his teammates, but also by the young players who look up to him. 'All the kids that come and watch our games, all the kids we coach in schools, they all look up to us.' As Auckland City FC embarks on its Club World Cup™ quest, the team understands the gravity of the competition. 'Knowing that we'll be representing New Zealand at the FIFA Club World Cup™ 2025 is a huge privilege,' says Ilich. 'Obviously, we know how hard it's going to be coming up against massive teams and big players, but let's see what can happen.' With Ilich at the helm, Auckland City FC is more than just a team, it's a symbol of pride for the city of Auckland and a beacon of inspiration for young footballers across New Zealand. As the team prepares for battle on football's biggest stage, one thing is certain: their captain will lead them with determination, heart, and an unshakable connection to the city he calls home. Auckland City will take on European powerhouse Bayern Munich, Portuguese giants SL Benfica, and Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors in Group C of the FIFA Club World Cup™.
