Portrait
The Man with the Golden Shovel
by Beth Fowler  Photography by Steve Pomerleau

Local Developer Digs His Way to Success

Dominic Amicone, President and CEO of Amico Properties, didn’t necessarily envision himself at the helm of a number of incredibly successful development ventures while growing up in Leamington, Ontario. Sure, he admits, his interest in heavy machinery can be traced to the farming equipment he was comfortable using in his family’s greenhouse operation. But after graduating from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and taking a job as a consultant, it was his desire for “more than sitting in a chair all day” that led him to open Amico Infrastructures Inc., a company focused on municipal infrastructure, design and development.

“Everything grew from this initial core,” he explains. “As business expanded, we felt a need to include complementary land development [services] to provide some synergy.” Business increased to such an extent that a parent company, TRIAMICO Corporation, which encompasses numerous ventures including Amico Design Build and Mill-Am Paving, was formed in 2007. Part of the company’s remarkable growth, Amicone says, is due to the fact that clients can have all of their development and design needs met under one roof.

This organic philosophy is evident in all of Amico’s projects, as Amicone himself is involved closely with all of the company’s undertakings. Although the company’s local origins and close-knit corporate culture have made Amico a leader in Windsor-Essex County development – with several residential projects and successful commercial holdings such as Windsor Crossings Outlet Mall – plans have expanded beyond regional boundaries. Amico has launched residential, commercial and industrial ventures throughout Ontario and Michigan, and new residential developments are currently underway in the vibrant Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area of Texas. Amicone has even opened satellite offices: one specializing in construction in Vaughn, just north of Toronto, and a municipal infrastructure outlet in Woodstock which just opened this year.

This expansion aside, Amicone remains committed to the Windsor region, and to the revitalization of its lagging economy. “Windsor obviously has to reinvent itself,” he notes. “It has to offer different products, products that you can’t buy anywhere else. [We have] to give people a reason to buy here.”

What Amicone identifies as the city’ most salient qualities are a moderate climate and a balance between tranquil surroundings and big-city amenities. To that end, he is particularly focused on longterm care facilities and retirement residences, the success of which depends on the positioning of Windsor as a desirable location in which to spend one’s golden years.

“We have good interest in this area,” he asserts. “Probably the biggest-selling attribute [of this area] is that Northern California and Essex County lie on the same latitude. We’re getting some attention from Ontario, and from across Canada.”

The bulk of this attention, says Amicone, comes from the increasing number of baby boomers reaching the age of retirement. The need is growing so rapidly, Amicone explains, that each year, 100,000 new suites are required in order to keep up—which amounts to 100 new buildings. In order to address this market, Amico Properties has invested in cities across the province. In Essex County, the company holds a stake in Chartwell properties situated in LaSalle, Amherstburg and Lakeshore, all of which are currently leasing. “They’re approaching half-full,” he notes, as “people are looking to downscale from their homes.”

But Amicone is not merely interested in presenting Windsor as a pre-eminent retirement location. The proverbial jewel in the crown of Amico Properties is Bob-Lo Island, 1.1 square kilometres of development that is transforming the old amusement park into a fullfledged, multi-million dollar resort community. “Bob-Lo itself offers a unique ability for waterfront living in a secure environment,” says Amicone. “We’re looking to recreate a summer getaway close to home.” Indeed, the closest resort-style community in Ontario, Muskoka Woods, is approximately six hours away, and, as Amicone notes, lacks the proximity to urban amenities that Bob-Lo is able to offer.

Although some of the island’s current residents have purchased summer or second homes, Amicone stresses that the community is also being marketed to people looking for a primary residence. And prices are also not beyond their financial means, as many have incorrectly assumed. Indeed, the price points are right around the mean average of what similar residential areas in Windsor are selling for.

Plans for a downtown core are underway, complete with eclectic boutique shops, cafes, and a theatre housed in the Albert Kahndesigned dance hall. A casual dining restaurant, the Bob-Lo Beach House, is already open to the public, as are a variety of shoreline trails for hiking, jogging or simply enjoying the scenery. “We have to create a pulse, a heartbeat for Bob-Lo,” Amicone says. “This is a peaceful, unique village that will not have a lot of automotive traffic. People get a chance to see the island, experience the water.”

Even though the core village is still a good 10 years away from completion, Amicone’s vision was recently honoured at the Grand Sales and Marketing (SAM) awards for Canadian community of the year and best brochure for development.

Amicone is eager to introduce Windsorites to the charms of the island, which will be on full display during the many cultural events taking place on Bob-Lo this summer. The ferry will be operating on demand to allow people to explore the burgeoning community and to enjoy the ‘Bob-Lo Uncorked’ affairs, including ‘LCBO Top 10 Wines’ on June 27, featuring wine, cheese and chocolate pairings accompanied by beachside musicians, and ‘Dancing Under the Stars’ on September 6, with performances by the 2008 Canadian Ballroom Dancing champions. The Bob-Lo Island International Jazz Festival, the only international show of its kind in North America, will showcase some of the world’s best talent, including Keiko Matsui, Warren Hill, R & R and Alexander Zonjic. Performers will take the stage on July 26-27 for a two-day extravaganza, replete with fireworks, food vendors and sightseeing. More details can be found on the festival’s website www.boblojazz.com.

Amico Properties has definitely earned its reputation as one of Windsor’s most admirable success stories; a thriving company with multiple holdings and employing almost 300 people. But while Amicone has set his sights beyond the region’s borders, he remains cognizant of the area’s integral link to his business aims. “The company may be growing outside the city of Windsor,” he says, “But we still have a core of expertise here.”