René Lépine | |
---|---|
Born |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
October 23, 1929
Died | April 18, 2012 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
(aged 82)
Residence |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
Alma mater | HEC Montréal (Honorary D.B.A.) |
Occupation | Chairman & President of Groupe Lépine |
Years active | 1952–2012 |
Spouse(s) | 1st marriage: Françoise Larrivière-Lépine 2nd marriage: Josée Lacoste-Lépine |
Children | 5 (first marriage), 1 (second marriage) Rene H. Lépine Normand Lépine Louis Lépine Francis Lépine Francesca Lépine Charles Lépine |
Website | Groupe Lepine |
René G. Lépine, Sr. (October 23, 1929 – April 18, 2012) was a Canadian real estate developer, philanthropist and founder of Groupe Lépine, a privately owned real estate company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, of which he was the Chairman and President.
He is considered to be one of the all-time largest and most influential real estate developers in Quebec. He had developed over time, more than 20,000 residential units, mainly houses and condominiums, as well as around 5,000 subdivided properties. Combined and adjusted to inflation, his projects are valued at more than $1 billion.
He was the owner and operator of numerous rental buildings and towers in Downtown Montreal. In 1969, he and partner Lorne Webster bought the Le Cartier building on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal out of bankruptcy from the Montreal Trust Company. He also built the Peel Plaza building right next to it in 1973.
Since the 1960s, he built more than 1,500 houses in Montreal's Hampstead, Westmount and Côte Saint-Luc areas, as well as over 10,000 condominium units across Canada and the United States.
Lépine developed many buildings and landmarks in Montreal, including the Olympic Village and Le Sanctuaire du Mont-Royal.
Since his early 70s, Lépine spent his time between work in Montreal and his other home in Palm Beach, Florida.