June 10, 2013

View’s good from Outlook

The Outlook at Waterfront promises premium views of the Bow River, the  Canadian Rockies and the lights of downtown Calgary.

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