Slate Asset Management has promoted the executive who oversees development of an 800-acre project southwest of Toronto that includes plans for 12 million square feet of space on Hamilton's waterfront.
Steven Dejonckheere, who joined Slate in 2019, was named managing director, the company said this week. The Toronto-based asset manager has offices in Canada, Europe and the United States.
"His promotion to Managing Director is a reflection of the incredible value he brings to our global investors, communities, and his many colleagues at Slate," Blair Welch, cofounding partner at Slate, said in a statement.
Blair's brother Brady Welch, also a cofounder, said Dejonckheere's promotion would allow the company to continue "championing" development opportunities.
Dejonckheere spearheads Steelport, one of the company's major projects. Slate bought the property from Stelco in June 2022.
Slate is looking to attract a range of industries to Steelport, including logistics centres, production hubs and innovative manufacturing facilities. The site's zoning allows for extensive industrial development. Slate plans to develop 12 million square feet of space that would include parcels to accommodate various employment and support uses.
The project is forecast to create up to 23,000 new jobs across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area as well as add up to $3.8 billion into Ontario's economy over the next decade.
Slate said Dejonckheere has been involved in growing the firm's development portfolio, scaling its development capabilities and focusing on activating large-scale employment and mixed-use master-plan projects.
He oversees all aspects of development at Slate, from initial acquisition to project stabilization across a portfolio spanning multiple asset classes across North America. Dejonckheere has held development positions at Capital Developments and Dream Unlimited. Prior to working in Canadian real estate, he was employed at architectural firm, SCB in Chicago.