The third tower of the Anthem Properties project — which is located next to Eau Claire Market to the east — is in pre-sales, with sales to launch later this month.
Sales in the first two towers of Waterfront took off last year after a slow start following the economic downturn, says Greg Zayadi, marketing director for Anthem Properties.
“Last year, we sold $70 million in 145 units of standing inventory,” says Zayadi. “It was a phenomenally successful development. We were probably the second-highest-selling project, after I believe the Guardian, which was pre-sale.”
The Eau Claire area is proving to be a premium location for condo development, with high rental rates for those who buy to rent as well as a high rate of owner-occupiers, he says.
Waterfront is attracting a younger range of purchasers — though not so much first-time homebuyers — along with empty nesters who are part-time residents.
It is also luring downtown oil and gas employees who have been moved by their companies to Calgary for a few years.
What inspires the buyers is twofold, says Zayadi. “Location is a big one, and the views are really nice, especially of the river.”
Anthem Properties bought the 2.4-hectare Greyhound site, which is next to Eau Claire Market, about a decade ago. The property is bound by the Bow River pathway to the north, Prince’s Island and Sien Lok Park to the east, and Riverfront Avenue S.W. to the south.
The property includes three building sites for the Waterfront project — the current two towers plus a third tower just launching pre-sales; a future fourth tower of about 18 to 20 storeys; and a smaller low-rise residence.
The first building site offers 22-storey and 25-storey towers united by a six-storey podium with a rooftop garden. The Waterfront One and Waterfront Two towers hold 450 units combined, with some units available for purchase.
The third tower, Outlook, will have 175 units and be attached to the existing podium.
Outlook will be a 16-storey building on the northwest side of the property, with a four-floor terrace extension to the eastern side of the current podium.
The parking garage for all three buildings was completed in the first round of construction and is ready for Outlook buyers.
The amenities are already constructed and in use. They include a grand lobby, with each building having its own “mini-lobby.”
Guest suites are available in each building and there is an executive concierge service.
A large gym overlooks the interior courtyard and there is a party room with a pool table, along with bar and lounge areas for renting.
A home theatre room has lounger chairs and the project also includes a steam room, hot tub and his-and-her’s bathrooms.
Outlook’s units are about evenly split between one- and two-bedroom units.
The one-bedrooms are between about 520 to 560 square feet, with two-bedroom units from 808 to about 1,200 square feet. The largest units will reach slightly more than 1,400 square feet.
One-bedroom units start from $310,000 to $370,000, with smaller “junior” one-bedrooms starting between $240,000 and $315,000.
Two-bedrooms start in the $470,000 to $650,000 range. The penthouses, sub-penthouses and townhouses are from 860 to 1,436 square feet and start from $600,000 to more than $1 million.
Prices do not include GST. Condo fees are 48 cents per square foot.
The homes come with European appliances that are concealed in the cabinetry. Units also have solid surface quartz countertops and wide-plank wood laminate flooring throughout for a clean finish.
“We’ve added a lot more glass to this one to take advantage of some of the views,” says Zayadi.
“It’s not quite floor-to-ceiling, but it’s definitely oversized glass windows. Not only does it create a slightly different look and effect from the outside, but internally, you really get to take advantage of the views.”
All units have decks with usable space and a rough-in for natural gas barbecues. Each unit comes with an underground stall, with the option to purchase others.
Construction of Outlook is planned to start in September and is expected to take 16 months. Completion is projected for February or March 2015.
The final two buildings in the project will follow Outlook at Waterfront. “There is a little bespoke building right on the river path that would only be about six storeys high,” says Zayadi.
The units in this custom building will be premium.
“And then on the east side of the land, next to Sien Lok Park, there will be a highrise of 18 to 20 storeys,” he says.
“When Waterfront is done, it will have about 1,100 homes in total. We hope to be through all of that in the next two to five years.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Project: Outlook at Waterfront.
Developer/builder: Anthem Properties.
Price: One-bedrooms start from $310,000 to $370,000, with smaller “junior” one-bedrooms starting between $240,000 and $315,000.
Two-bedrooms start in the $470,000 to $650,000 range.
The penthouses, sub-penthouses and townhouses start from 860 to 1,436 square feet and range from $600,000 to more than $1 million.
Prices do not include GST. Condo fees are 48 cents per square foot.
Location: The project is at 216 Riverfront Ave. S.W.
Directions: The sales centre is on Riverfront Avenue S.W. at 2nd Street S.W. It is the block to the east of Eau Claire market downtown along the river.
Information: Visit waterfrontcalgary.com, or anthemproperties.com
CONVENIENCE MEETS VIEWS
Centrally located on the river in downtown Calgary, the Waterfront development is located for convenience and views.
It’s next to Eau Claire Market, home to a movie theatre, coffee shops and restaurants.
The project is also adjacent to Prince’s Island, with its summer roster of music and cultural festivals.
It is also close to the bustling Chinatown district and the downtown office core. For those who love to be active, Waterfront is right on the bike path system.
Visit waterfrontcalgary.com
SEE WHAT DEVELOPS
Based in Vancouver, Anthem Properties is a real estate investment, development and management company in Western Canada.
The company holds more than 3.5 million square feet of commercial space, 16 hectares of urban and suburban land held for future development and approximately 3,500 residential condominium units either in the design development stage or under construction. Anthem has been involved in more than 210 projects.
Visit anthemproperties.com
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/View+good+from+Outlook/8490315/story.html#ixzz2VpVsOve9