Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Project ads kicking into high gear

Competing projects in the area appear to be kicking into high gear as concerns about a housing slump increase.  Aviara and Solo District have both had their projects written about in Vancouver Sun and Marketwire "articles" recently as they try to lock up buyers before the projects get underway.  It makes sense for the the 2 projects to aggressively market themselves considering the prevailing view that the housing market is cooling down and that the nearby Brentwood Mall Redevelopment is expected to begin Phase 1 next year, adding to the stock of condos on the market.


Aviara offers perfect perch in burnaby’s Brentwood

 

Ledingham McAllister’s tower stands out due to sweeping curves and calming water features; and it’s near handy to all amenities

 

With its sweeping, sensual curves, flowing façade, and welcoming water features, Ledingham-McAllister’s Aviara is on the forefront of contemporary modern architecture. This boldly inspired exterior evokes the soaring vistas that Aviara residents will enjoy from their perch in the epicentre of Brentwood – Burnaby’s emerging modern community based on convenient ease of access to a supply of shops, services, parks, and trails that will be unparalleled in the Lower Mainland in the decades to follow.
Elva Kim, Director, Sales and Marketing for Ledingham McAllister Properties Ltd., says: “We have built 20 communities across Burnaby. We are connected to Burnaby more than any other developer out there – it is a part of who we are as a community homebuilder. Every home we’ve built has been an extension of how we focus our efforts in making things better for the homeowner and the specific community of Burnaby that we are in.”
Kim continues: “We find Brentwood the most attractive place in Metro Vancouver to invest because it’s affordable and within close proximity to Vancouver, which makes it a stable environment to develop in. We have loved Brentwood since the beginning, with our success at Brentwood Gate in 2006. It was the largest development ever seen in the Brentwood neighborhood, for that time. Brentwood Gate, a master-planned community comprised of seven phases, was welcomed with open arms and we have had continued success with Memento, and Perspectives.”
Aviara, a 34-storey tower, will contain 239 homes configured in a variety of one-bedroom with den, two bedroom, and three bedroom homes ranging in size from 645 — 1,285 square feet, for a total buildable area of over 231,000 square feet. Designed for airy, spacious living, all floor plans embrace an open-concept plan through the dining and kitchen spaces and bring the outside in with private, exclusive balconies. Large sweeping balconies act as a sun shade to shield the west façade from the afternoon sun, while maintaining expansive views. Outside air and sunlight even infiltrate into the interior parking levels. Concealed behind the parkade, a select few southfacing luxury garden townhomes complete with private garages are located along Halifax Street. The entire project takes up just over two acres.
Homeowners will be greeted by the grand waterfall and Zen reflecting pools at the entry. Aviara’s sloped building site makes its water features visible from both the entryway and from the visitor’s parking area. Homeowners experience a sense of tranquility as they cross a bridge over the extensive water feature at the entrance to the building. As dusk descends, an illuminated, full-height, beacon will be a signal for this inspired architecture and project an unparalleled profile on the cityscape.
Aviara residents will enjoy a number of in-house amenities, including a private lounge, a fitness centre and guest suite. All homes will also have private, secured bike storage lockers in the underground parkade. Aviara owners can also take advantage of two shared co-op cars with dedicated parking.
Centrally located in North Burnaby, this new community will continue to revitalize this exciting neighbourhood. The site is easily accessible to major roads, highways and transit lines and for ultimate convenience, Gilmore SkyTrain station is just two blocks away with Brentwood Mall station of the Millennium SkyTrain line and bus loop a five-minute walk away. Aviara’s construction will result in a realignment of First Avenue with an expansion to Willingdon Heights Park.
Nearby Brentwood Town Centre is located east of the site. The shopping centre offers 110 stores with over 517,000 square feet of retail space with major tenants, including Sears, London Drugs, Starbucks, and a number of prominent financial service providers. Brentwood Mall will also soon be home to a Target store as they have bought out the former Zellers locations. Madison Centre is only one block away with Save-On-Foods and a Winners store. Home Depot is also a short distance south of Aviara.
Young families considering an Aviara purchase will be happy to know that the new Madison Centre daycare facility in nearby Brentwood Town Centre has just been completed. Both Kitchener Elementary School and Alpha Secondary School are a short walk away. BCIT and Simon Fraser University are easily accessible by transit or a short drive away.
Residents can also enjoy the range of amenities at Confederation Park, which is located a short distance from the site heading north along Willingdon Avenue. Amenities include a leisure pool, community centre, fitness centre, library, running track, playfields, tennis courts, miniature railway, skateboard park, and wilderness trails. Upon completion of the Central Valley Greenway it will provide pedestrians and cyclists an attractive east-west link traversing across Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster.
Aviara is part of Ledingham McAllister’s extensive portfolio of Brentwood communities including the Perspectives tower (located across the street from a seven-phase master-planned community at Brentwood Gate); and Memento.
Elva Kim concludes: “Our history, commitment, and vision to developing in Brentwood over the years has allowed us to understand our home owners better, honing in on what they love most about their home and the area. It is what made us successful with every community we’ve built in Brentwood and why we continue to build here.”
Aviara is sure to be another very fast sellout in the emerging, ever-changing Brentwood community story. Construction starts in September 2012, with an estimated completion date of Spring 2014. Register now at www.ledmac.com/aviara to be amongst the first to receive more information as it becomes available.




Vibrant Brentwood district goes Solo

 

Shopping, dining and professional services are just steps away in this contained green neighbourhood at Lougheed highway and willingdon

 

Neighbourhoods with abbreviated names have been popular ever since New Yorkers copied London’s swingin’ Soho district with their very own SoHo — short for “South of Houston” in the mid 1980s.
Now, this hip neighbourhood naming trend is reaching into Burnaby, where Jim Bosa’s Appia Developments will soon be pre-selling Solo District – “South of Lougheed.”
Over the past 15 years, coordinated planning between City of Burnaby and the Appia/Embassy/BOSA Developments family has created Brentwood — the centre of vibrant urban life that is anchored by a major SkyTrain station on BC Transit’s Millennium line. Solo District is the next logical stage in this community planning process — a self-contained clean, green neighbourhood where everything you could possibly want is within a short walk or bike ride. This four-phase mixed commercial and residential development will eventually feature four gleaming towers with 1,400 new homes.
George Wong, spokesperson for Magnum Projects, says: “It has always been Jim Bosa’s vision to create Burnaby’s most livable urban community in Brentwood. At Solo District, everything is right at your doorstep – you can easily walk to shopping, dining, and professional services.”
Located on the southwest corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon, Solo District is in line with the City of Burnaby’s vision to urbanize North Burnaby. Solo District will make Brentwood one of the fastest growing communities in the next 10 years, making it an excellent investment opportunity. Solo District is in the middle of it all, whether by transit or by car. The Brentwood Town Centre Station of the Millennium Line is steps away, connecting to downtown Vancouver within 20 minutes. By car, Lougheed Highway and Highway 1 are instantly accessible. North Burnaby is already a local entertainment destination — with Joey’s Burnaby, Brown’s Social House, Cactus Club, all within a two- block radius. In 2013, the Brentwood commercial area will welcome the very first Whole Foods organic market outside of Vancouver.
Wong continues: “There is excitement and value in high-speed growth. With a combination of city-mandated change and mass market receptivity, Solo District will propel population growth and home values will appreciate. Indeed, it is very important that developers introducing new products to the market ensure good long-term investment value to their customers, whether they are owner-occupiers or investors. Walkability and livability are intertwined – you want a common linkage between where people live, work, and recreate. Brentwood’s proximity to both transit into Vancouver and Burnaby’s dozens of municipal green spaces is pretty much unbeatable.”
Solo District’s energy efficient, sleek glass building will cater to the changing demographics of North Burnaby — younger, highly educated urban professionals who perhaps work in downtown Vancouver and who value an uncrowded, yet vibrant neighbourhood with an urban ambience. These new homes have a space and energy-saving minimalist urban look, designed to encourage comfortable, practical living.
Solo District is committed to offering outstanding value, with typical savings of anywhere between $35,000 to over $100,000 compared to downtown Vancouver. Wong says: “You can save up to $200 per square foot by purchasing a home in Solo District. The area really delivers affordability and value to homeowners and investors alike.”
In terms of sales demographics, Burnaby residents have been extremely receptive to all of Appia’s developments; from young buyers to empty nesters. To date, buyer interest has come from all over Metro Vancouver, including downtown, Kitsilano and East Vancouver.
At Solo District, there is a home for everyone, from first-time homeowners through to the downsizer and everybody in-between. Even the most budget-conscious buyer is able to get in, with luxurious and spacious suites catering to those who want to pursue their dream home. The sales centre is now open. Residences in this stunning 45-storey tower will boast panoramic views of the North Shore mountains, Mount Baker, and downtown Vancouver.
Magnum’s George Wong concludes: “Those who act fast and early will be rewarded handsomely, as North Burnaby is a sleeper … but not for long!”



Marketwire article

July 24, 2012 13:12 ET

SOLO District Sales Prove Real Estate Still Hot Despite Beliefs

North Burnaby's Newest Master-Planned Community Receives Strong Buyer Support
BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - July 24, 2012) - After three weeks of select previews that garnered a lot of attention for North Burnaby's newest master-planned community, buyers lined up two hours before Appia Developments opened the doors for the first release of sales of the highly-anticipated SOLO District.
"We quickly realized that community demand was there and that people wanted to start buying," says Jim Bosa, president of Appia Developments, the developer behind the new community on the southwest corner of Lougheed Highway and Willingdon. "We decided to release a few homes as an introductory release and we've had an excellent response. We've sold out our first release and we're also oversubscribed for the next round."
Despite critics who claim a "cooling" real estate market in the Lower Mainland, more than 2000 people visited the sales centre during the opening weekend, but it's not all about the numbers. Buyer demographics show that SOLO District has something for everyone, from first-timers to young professionals, families and empty nesters from every corner of the Lower Mainland.
"SOLO District proves that market strength exists for a strong community concept, which is exactly what Appia Developments has created here at Brentwood," says George Wong of Magnum Projects. "The best developments will counter any negative real estate market trends."
The site will eventually be home to four residential towers, more than 100,000 square feet of retail space, including a Whole Foods and 40,000 square feet of office space. The first tower to be built, named Stratus, will have nearly 400 homes over 45 storeys. However, it's SOLO District's location that is getting people excited about the future of Brentwood.
Says Bosa, "Our first SOLO District buyer on Saturday morning was a first-time homebuyer in her late 20s who had grown up in the area. Like many other buyers she knew the area well, saw the potential in the community and wanted to be a part of it."
SOLO District's proximity to public transit (SkyTrain) and the short, 20-minute commute to downtown Vancouver has also been very appealing to investors.
The next release is scheduled for sometime in the fall.

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