James Scott is the Senior Vice President of Planning & Development at PBA Group, a 59-year-old private real estate development company based in Calgary, Alberta. At PBA James oversees all stages of acquisitions, new project development, municipal, government and community relations, and strategic planning for asset development and positioning. Recent projects James has been involved with are the dual-brand Dorian opened by PBA in 2022, and ongoing conversion of a 170,000 square foot 1982 office building into a 226-key Element by Westin extended stay hotel in Calgary’s west downtown.
Prior to joining PBA James managed and contributed to a broad range of complex development and planning projects, including urban land development / redevelopment approvals, master-planned communities, mountain resort development projects and land evaluation studies in western Canada and the US. An urban planner by training, James has 30+ years experience in various facets of the land and real estate development sectors, spanning consulting and developer positions, including leading planning and development approvals for the Three Sisters Mountain Village in Canmore, developing policy and land use frameworks for Calgary’s East Village, and most recently working closely with the City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategies team in advancing approvals and grant funding for the Element by Westin office to hotel conversion project.
James has contributed to the development and hospitality industries through several volunteer positions, including committee chair at Calgary UDI / BILD, where he served for over 15 years in several positions, two terms as Commissioner on the Calgary Planning Commission, is currently serving a second two-year term as a Member of the Calgary Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, and as a Director with the Calgary Hotel Association.
James is a registered Professional Planner in the province of Alberta and holds Master of City Planning degree from the University of Manitoba.