Murray Menkes
{{short description|Canadian property developer}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Murray Menkes
|image=
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|birth_name=
|birth_date=April 21, 1926
|birth_place=Toronto
|death_date=April 26, 2013 (aged 87)
|death_place=Toronto
|nationality =
|occupation=Real estate developer
|spouse= Pauline Weintraub (m. 1949)
|parents=
|relations=
|children={{hlist|Alan|Steven|Peter}}
|alma mater=
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}}
Murray Menkes (April 21, 1926 – April 24, 2013) was a Canadian property developer and founder of Menkes Developments Ltd. in North York, Ontario, which became one of the largest developers in the Toronto area.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2013/04/25/noted_developer_murray_menkes_dead_at_87.html|title=Noted developer Murray Menkes dead at 87|author=Ashante Infantry|date=25 April 2013|publisher=|via=Toronto Star}}{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/murray-menkes-legendary-toronto-developer-dies-at-87|title='A great visionary': Legendary Toronto developer dies at 87|date=26 April 2013|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/life/homes/2015/07/17/north-yorks-evolution-has-made-fans-of-residents-and-builder-menkes-developments.html|title=North York's evolution has made fans of residents and builder Menkes Developments|first=Tracy|last=Hanes|date=17 July 2015|publisher=|via=Toronto Star}}
Early life and family
Murray Menkes was born in Toronto on April 21, 1926, to Max and Anne Menkes. His parents were Polish immigrants and came to Canada in the late 1910s.{{cite web|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/murray-menkes-legendary-toronto-developer-dies-at-87|title='A great visionary': Legendary Toronto developer dies at 87|date=26 April 2013|publisher=|accessdate=1 November 2018}} Menkes in his youth started working at his father's fur business until he realized that he can be more successful selling real estate in the 1940s. In 1949 Menkes married Pauline Weintraub and together had three sons Alan, Steven and Peter. His three sons as well as grandsons Jared, Adam, Jason and Sean work at Menkes's company Menkes Developments.{{cite news |title=Weintraub-Menkes |publisher=The Paducah Sun |date=September 18, 1949}}{{cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Pat |title=Big gamble pays off for Menkes |accessdate=21 November 2020 |publisher=Toronto Star |url= https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20120303/318123934315556 |date=March 3, 2012}}
Menkes Developments
Menkes started Menkes Developments in 1954 with the purchase of several residential buildings in Toronto. Menkes had started out small with building single-family homes and later expanded with rental apartments, condominiums and office properties.{{cite news |last1=Infantry |first1=Ashante |title=Noted developer Murray Menkes dead at 87 |url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2013/04/25/noted_developer_murray_menkes_dead_at_87.html |work=The Star |date=April 25, 2013}} By the 1960s, Menkes expanded greatly with the addition of an apartment complex on his property investments. Menkes Developments under Menkes became one of the largest private real estate developers in Canada. In 1984 Menkes Developments built the Procter & Gamble building near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue.{{cite web |title=Menkes Developments |url=https://skyrisecities.com/database/companies/menkes-developments |website=Skyrisecities}} Several other notable buildings built by Menkes Development is the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, Harbour Plaza and Sun Life Financial Tower.{{cite news |last1=Hanes |first1=Tracey |title=North York's evolution has made fans of residents and builder Menkes Developments |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/homes/2015/07/17/north-yorks-evolution-has-made-fans-of-residents-and-builder-menkes-developments.html |work=The Star}} As of 2013, Menkes Development has developed over 15,000 homes and condominiums. Menkes has been credited with creating the modern North York City Centre.{{cite news |title=In memoriam: Murray Menkes |url=https://building.ca/in-memoriam-murray-menkes/ |publisher=Building}}