55 years. 55 years of building partnerships and community. 55 years of growth and evolution. And we have only just begun.
Joe Phillips began PBA Group of Companies in 1965 with a vision of building upon the community of Calgary through investment and philanthropy. From developing office space to mixed use development to hotels, we always have the community in mind. Today, Joe’s daughters Patricia and Michelle continue to build upon this vision and lead our evolution guided by our core values.
As we reflect on and celebrate our 55 years, we realize a lot has changed for us during this time – especially in the last five years. In 2019 we evolved from PBA Land and Development to PBA Group of Companies to reflect our progression and prepare us for future growth. This rebrand brought together PBA Investments, PBA Hotels, and PBA Management, with PBA Land & Development as the foundation. We have grown, diversified, and taken big steps in our evolution as a developer with The Dorian hotel as the catalyst for this growth.
PBA Hotels’ foray into hospitality begins with the development of The Dorian, a $110 million, 27-story dual-brand hotel, featuring 308 luxury rooms including 133 Autograph Collection rooms and 175 Courtyard Marriott rooms. The Dorian, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray, will create a sophisticated, design-forward, vibrant space for travelers and locals alike while making a significant impact on Calgary’s downtown skyline and economy.
The Dorian is also a culmination of our company’s core values. These values are the foundation for every tenant, investment, project, and partner interaction. With these interactions we embrace diversity, consider and respect everyone’s viewpoint, perform to exceed expectations, lead to elevate the communities we serve and foster mutually beneficial relationships. From the beginning, PBA has been a collaborative space where all parties are respected, and all sides of a situation are considered. This ensures that our team acts with integrity and transparency – the basis of building and maintaining strong long-term relationships.
The next chapter for us is an ambitious growth and diversification plan, for the future, while continuing to build on our existing assets, partnerships, and core values. We have evolved over the last 55 years into who we are today. 55 Years. It is something to be proud of. Yet, we have only just begun.