Vision, Ambition and a Mission: A chat with Kheng Ly of Brivia Group

By: Sara Bianchin

Montreal’s skyline has been transformed by the recent and ongoing contributions of Brivia Group.

We sat down with Founder, CEO and President, Kheng Ly to get an inside perspective on
the company’s history and growth.

What circumstances led you to your position as president and CEO of Brivia Group?
I’m Chinese born and raised in Cambodia. I arrived in Montreal in 1988 at the age of 18 years old.
I started to invest in real estate in the early 2000s and began to learn about this very
competitive industry. That’s when I began thinking about diversifying into the business
of real estate. I had initially invested in small real estate projects and shopping malls.
These first projects were the reason I founded Brivia Group.

1) What was the inspiration for the YUL project? Do you feel pride that the largest-scale
project in downtown Montreal is being built by a Cambodian of Chinese descent?
We named the project YUL because it’s the IATA code for the Montreal airport, the international
gateway to this great city, and as such, it represents Montreal on the world scene to
some degree. I wanted these high-rise towers to project a welcoming community vibe.
When it’s complete, along with the townhouses, this landmark project will change the
entire landscape of the western part of downtown Montreal. As a dyed-in-the-wool
Montrealer, I am thrilled to be able to contribute an architectural classic to the skyline
of my city!

2) What are some upcoming projects for Brivia Group?
Just in the last few years, we’ve developed major projects in the heart of the city, like YUL
Condominiums, QuinzeCent and Nest Condos, which have contributed significantly to
the revitalization of Montreal’s downtown core. In all, we’ve completed or are involved
in 13 projects totaling more than 4 million square feet. The most recent project is 1
Square Phillips.
Inspired by the most sophisticated hotels in New-York City, QuinzeCent is a 36-storey residential
tower located at the corner of René-Lévesque Blvd. West and Guy St., which will
welcome its first residents in 2022. QuinzeCent will also feature 451 condo units,
including micro-condos, 1- to 3-bedrooms units and penthouses. Residents and visitors
will be greeted by a magnificent carriage porch, an all-glass lobby that will also double
as a socializing and work space.
NEST Condos is a new 11-storey residential building in downtown Montreal, at 1198
Crescent St., at the corner of René-Lévesque Blvd, a vibrant neighbourhood located in
the heart of downtown Montreal. NEST Condos offers 97 condos consisting of studios,
as well as of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom condominiums. Beautiful and functional, the all-in-
one-space concept is relatively new to Montreal. It is characterized by housing units of

reduced square-footage; generally studios with furnishings that are adapted to the
space, such as fold-away beds.
Stanbrooke is designed to promote the wellbeing of a new generation of mobile, urban
Montrealers. This brand new rental project is located on Stanley Street and offers 178
semi-furnished apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom spaces. Among the
many features of the space, renters can enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness room, a
spectacular rooftop terrace and indoor parking.
Finally, we are working on 1 Square Phillips. There will be three phases to the project,
which will include a 61-storey residential tower that is 232.5 metres above sea level,
making it the highest residential tower in Montreal; as high as the Place Ville-Marie.
The first tower will comprise more than 500 residential units, with a potential upscale
hotel to be added to the project at a later date in Phase 3. Brivia Group's project will be
built between Place Phillips and Saint Alexandre streets, in the block bordered by Sainte
Catherine Street and René Lévesque Boulevard West. The site is currently used as a
parking lot. This huge project will play an important role in revitalizing this sector of
downtown Montreal by welcoming a large community of new residents, thereby
contributing to the development of nearby businesses and redevelopment efforts on
Sainte Catherine Street West.

3) What makes Brivia Group unique?
High standards and exceptional quality define what we do at Brivia Group. We are a real estate
development company driven to reach the pinnacle of our profession. We specialize in
innovative, high-quality projects in urban environments.
We also strive to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in our day-to-day
business conduct, our commercial relationships and with our staff and suppliers.
Integrity and reputation are essential components of our group’s core values.
Brivia Group’s success is also reflected in the value it creates for its shareholders. We know that
their satisfaction is key to maintaining a long-term business relationship with them, and
for Brivia Group to remain their partner of choice.
We maintain the highest standards of responsibility with our partners, investors and
communities alike, and we take all appropriate measures to ensure that these standards
are aligned with their expectations.

4) What features of your residential projects will most captivate our readers?
First, the architecture. We make sure that it’s in perfect harmony with the neighbourhood that
surrounds it. To the extent possible, we integrate resort-like features for owners and
residents, such as the 23,000-square-foot urban garden at the heart of YUL
Condominiums. We work exclusively with industry leaders – architects, designers, artists,

landscapers – using top-quality materials, and we integrate the latest state-of-
the-art technologies to make owners’ and residents’ lives easier. As an example in the
case of 1 Square Phillips, we work in partnership with MSDL architects, Hill West
architects of New York City and the engineering firm of Dupras Ledoux.

5) What are Brivia's plans for the historic Mansfield Club?
It’s too early to tell right now. We are evaluating various options. But we will be delighted to let
you know at the earliest appropriate time. What is beyond doubt, however, is its
exceptional, unique location in the heart of downtown Montreal that will require a
project that matches its unequalled location.6) How do you define elegance?
Elegance is style, grace, grandeur, luxury, refinement and sophistication. In real estate, elegance
means a seamless integration with the environment, and with architectural concepts
that are at once beautiful, soothing and welcoming as well as functional.

7) What does living well mean to you?
Living well is well-being. It’s a sense of belonging to and with your environment, and of
interacting with the world the way you wish to. It is peace, harmony and relaxation.

8) Where do you see Brivia Group in 10 years?
10 years? Well, that’s far off – and yet not so far off. Ten years ago, I would never have imagined
that Brivia would attain the heights and the reach it has today. Our focus is to keep
expanding our real estate portfolio in a sustainable manner, remaining true to our core
values and strategies, not only here in Quebec but in Canada as a whole.

9) What are you most proud of?
My family. My wife and three children are by far my best and brightest projects.