Clarice Coty's Blog » News of New Residential Development

Construction Starts at Coldwood’s Capital City Centre

Clarice — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:27:56 +0000

Ground has now been broken on a $1 billion real estate and construction project at Colwood Corners on south Vancouver Island. With a build-out of 20 years, the “Capital City Centre” has the potential to draw 4,000 people to Colwood’s core, living in 2,220 condominiums and townhomes.
During phase 1 and over the next five years, the southern third of the 14-acre site is planned for a four floors of residential atop 35,000 square feet of space for London Drugs, a five-storey office building, three retail buildings and a public plaza for outdoor events and farmers’ markets.
Once completed, the next building would be a 26-storey residential tower, the tallest building planned for the Island. More retail space would round out the completion of phase 1, worth $250 million. Parking is planned underground.
Ultimately, the build-out envisions 12 residential and office towers and scores of retail units, for a total of 3.8 million square feet of space, spanning the property between Belmont Road and Colwood Crescent.

Steam Engine Estates in Cumberland Now 50% Sold

Clarice — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:21:19 +0000

Steam Engine Estates in Cumberland, B.C., is a residential real estate project featuring 50 new patio homes and town homes; each with a view of the spectacular Comox Valley mountains. This Vancouver Island development is set in a tranquil area backing onto a dedicated green space.
Each patio and town house unit is beautifully finished with plenty of natural lighting, designer colour schemes and landscaped yards. There are three floor plans to choose from: The “Wellington” — 1254 sq ft; The “McGinty” — 1410 sq ft; and the The “Queen Anne” — 1453 sq ft.
These Vancouver Island homes are priced from $219,900 to $239,900. 24 units in Phases I – IV have been sold. Stop by an open house at 3400 Coniston Crescent, Cumberland, Wednesday-Sunday from 1-3 p.m. to view these new homes.

New Commercial and Residential Project Presented for Comox

Clarice — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:43:33 +0000

A new development proposal featuring a mix of single family homes and commercial development in the northwest corner of Comox has been presented to town council.
A rezoning/development permit application was submitted by for 2310 Guthrie Rd., near the intersection of Guthrie and McDonald Roads.
“The proposal allows for the appropriate transition between compatible land uses within one neighbourhood, all in support of the premise for compact and livable communities,” Architect Eric Ching explained.
Four commercial buildings would be situated along Guthrie and McDonald roads, while six new single family residential homes would be set between the commercial buildings and the existing residential community across Tracker Place along the southeast, Ching told council. Two of the four commercial buildings fully face McDonald and Guthrie, with active, directly accessible storefronts, he added.
Town planner Marvin Kamenz noted the proposed development addresses the town’s Official Community Plan in a variety of ways.
In his report, Kamenz also said the architecture respects the northwestern character of the surrounding residential neighbours, employing slopped asphalt shingled roofs, horizontal siding and generous timber details, all in a complimentary colour palate.
Council referred the rezoning and development permit application to the town’s Advisory Planning Commission for comment.

Sage Hills Seeks New Financial Backer for Large Scale Comox Valley Development

Clarice — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:21:41 +0000

Promoters of the proposed Sage Hills development in the Comox Valley say a company has been lined up to refinance their land mortgage, the Comox Valley Echo newspaper is reporting.
A signed agreement is not yet done, but Sage Hills vice president Shannon Price told the Echo they had a definite commitment from an overseas funding source. Price said they are confident of sealing the deal within the next several weeks, allowing them to pay off their existing lender and so avoid the possibility of a court-ordered land sale.
“We are working on closing the details,” she said. “We are giving ourselves a lot of leeway and we are confident. We are not seeking other financial backers – we have an agreement and the lawyers are working on it.”
Independent Academies Canada Inc – of which Sage Hills Developments Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary – bought the 2,083 acres south of Courtenay in 2006 for $4.1 million. The company has plans for an ambitious development that would include a private school and university campus, sports academy, hotel and wellness facilities and new residential real estate.
But the Alberta company providing the existing land mortgage wants out, and has secured a court order to have the entire property put on the market in a bid to recover its money, and ‘For Sale’ signs have now gone up alongside the Inland Island Highway.
The realtor marketing the site for $4,790,000 – Ed Handja of Coast Realty Group in Campbell River told the Echo the lender “has been very patient and given them quite a few months to resolve their issues before instructing that the land be marketed.”
But he added: “They would love nothing more than for these guys (Sage Hills) to be successful.”
Handja is actively seeking offers on the land, while Sage Hills pursues its separate quest to seal new financing arrangement to allow the existing loan arrangement to be paid off and the property removed from the market.

Unique Live-Work Building Slated For Courtenay Applies For Changes

Clarice — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:23:53 +0000

Changes to plans for a mixed commercial and residential development in Courtenay’s downtown core have been presented to city council.
The proposal for Tessitura Flats — a recording studio and a live performance venue with a cafe and residential units — was approved for a development permit in June, at 534 Cumberland Rd. near the school board office and fire hall.
A company representative presented Courtenay council with updated plans for Tessitura Flats, which would now consist of 14 new Comox Valley homes instead of 13, and six live/work units instead of five. On the third floor, one of the two proposed retail spaces and a residential unit would become the additional live/work space. The mezzanine, would be replaced with two residential units.
“If we reduced the size of that (mezzanine) we were more likely to be able to populate rather than have this cavernous space,” explained Eirah Unger. “We thought by increasing the density it would improve our numbers.”
While the building would not physically change in height, it would now be considered five stories instead of four, as a mezzanine is not considered a floor. The development would still be oriented around a central courtyard, and the live performance space would still be the central feature of the project.
Council unanimously passed a motion to give notice to adjacent property owners and return the application to council Feb. 6.

Excerpted from the Comox Valley Record

Ocean Views Abound at Condos and Townhomes at The Boardwalk in Nanaimo

Clarice — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:53:47 +0000

The Boardwalk is a new real estate development offering 33 Vancouver Island ocean view townhomes and condominiums in Nanaimo.
Located only steps from Nanaimo’s premiere waterfront walkway in the historic Newcastle area, The Boardwalk condos and town homes offer easy access to marinas, waterfront walkways and outdoor activities.
These new Vancouver Island homes have been designed to take advantages of the stunning views and xxpansive windows capture dazzling views of the water, city, marina and more. Large private balconies and/or ground floor patios offer space for relaxing and taking in the views.
These ocean view townhomes and condos features contemporary West Coast architectural design, and all concrete and steel construction. The Boardwalk offers secured, underground parking and a bicycle storage room.
Residents will enjoy peaceful courtyard gardens and spectacular ocean views from a fully-furnished entertainment roof top deck
New homes at The Boardwalk range from 554 sq ft studio condominiums to 1355 sq ft 2 bedroom + den townhomes, and range in price from $244,900 to $629,000. The Boardwalk Presentation Centre at 370 Stewart Avenue in Nanaimo is now open Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.

Affordable Single Family Homes With Luxury Touches at Kettle Creek Station in Langford

Clarice — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:58:40 +0000

New single family homes at Kettle Creek Station in Langford, near Victoria on Vancouver Island, start from only $289,000.
Kettle Creek Station offers nine different home styles, 8 of which are priced at under $400,000. With homes ranging from 568-1548 sq ft, there is a home style for every lifestyle.
These new single-family homes are attracting first time buyers, as well as those wanting to downsize. These well designed houses bring the concept of condo-sized detached homes to the market in Victoria. The homes have been designed with efficient spaces, open-design and a focus on the spaces we all use most – like the kitchen.
Most homes have a front porch and each home is fully accessible from front and back doors, making outdoor living a breeze.
Designed with efficiency and open concept living in mind, these Kettle Creek new homes are very affordable and provide bright spacious living areas, designer décor options and their own backyard. One, two and three-bedroom new homes, all complete with appliance packages, are available at Kettle Creek Station in Langford. Developers at Kettle Creek Station are also covering the cost of HST, hook-up and legal fees. Low home prices at Kettle Creek Station mean new home owners can afford hardwood and granite, and extra luxury touches.
For more information visit the Kettle Creek Station website or stop by their sales centre, located at 3121 Kettle Creek Cres. – open daily from 11-5.

New Comox Valley Real Estate Project Will Bring 10 New Townhomes to Piercy Avenue

Clarice — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:24:10 +0000

A new Comox Valley real estate development from McQueen Construction is coming to Piercy Avenue in Courtenay. This new Vancouver Island real estate project will feature four townhouses and two duplexes for a total of 10 new homes.
Located only a few blocks from downtown Courtenay, Piercy Avenue Townhomes are set in a sunny, central location in the Comox Valley.
The townhomes and duplexes will feature three different floor plans which will include two or three bedrooms and bathrooms. The homes will range in size from 1,300-1,600 sq. ft.
Home designs include the option of having the master bedroom on the main floor. All of these centrally located new homes will feature hardwood flooring, solid wood cabinets, and appliance packages. The homes will have attached garages and additional driveway parking, and guest parking spots.
Prices are expected to start at $249,900.

Residential Construction Numbers Jumped in Campbell River

Clarice — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:59:33 +0000

Campbell River’s taxable residential assessment roll is $3.3 billion this year.
A total of almost $34 million in new residential value has been added due to various changes including subdivision, rezoning and new construction.
In the first three quarters of 2011, Campbell River approved building permits for 90 new single family homes with a value of more than $23.5 million. This was a 40 per cent drop from the same period in 2010.
Still, Campbell River led the way with 90 new homes, compared to 55 in Courtenay and 37 in Comox.
Total construction values, including commercial and industrial developments for the first nine months were 39.3 million in Campbell River, compared to 36.1 million in Courtenay.

Building Permit Numbers Reveal Housing Trends in Victoria Region

Clarice — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:19:43 +0000

The value of building permits issued throughout the Capital Regional District (Greater Victoria region) slumped 15 per cent between September and October, and 38 per cent, year over year for October, according to figures realeased by Statistics Canada.
A dip in large projects after a busy summer is mostly to blame, according to the Vancouver Island Construction Association. Municipal statistics from Oak Bay, Victoria and Saanich, however, provide a more nuanced picture of the overall decline.
The number of building permits issued in Oak Bay is down in 2011 from 2010, but it’s substantially higher than any other year since 2007. A total of 747 permits have been issued so far this year, at a value of just over $34 million. Last year saw 815 permits issued, valued at nearly $93 million, thanks largely to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel development.
In Victoria, the raw number of building permits issued has actually increased every year since 2007. The number of permits issued reached 3,805 in the cityin 2011, up from 3,383 five years ago. The value of building permits, however, has dropped $25 million since last year, and nearly $200 million since 2007.
While residential building permits are on the decline in Victoria, the opposite is true for Saanich. The number of residential building permits issued in 2011 far surpasses any year since 2007. 295 units were approved in Saanich last year, mostly for apartment-style housing.

Excerpted from the Oak Bay News.