When Karl Devlin drove by a lot at the corner of Regent Avenue West and Moroz Street in late 2008, he had a vision.
Having grown up in the area -- Devlin is a longtime, dedicated Transcona resident -- he knew that many people, from seniors to young couples just starting out, were looking for affordable housing. Consequently, when he saw the 99-foot-by-100-foot corner lot, he envisioned an affordably priced condominium complex going up.
Problem was, the land was occupied. Undaunted, he decided to see if the owner would consider selling.
"Eventually, I approached the owner and stated my case," he recalls. "I made an offer and it was accepted. After a good deal of time spent on zoning, we started construction of Regent Estates on March 1."
It is the first project of its kind to come to the general area in many a year. Devlin, who runs Carrington Homes with his wife, Carla, says his primary goal is to build a complex that's affordable and fits in with the surrounding community.
Most importantly, says Devlin, a real need is being met.
"There's a definite demand for this type of housing. I know that, because I grew up in the area," he says. "We chose this lot because we primarily do infill. There's going to be a total of eight units, and it's going to be a wood-frame building. Four units will be upstairs and four will be at ground level. The average square footage will be 1,000 square feet, with upper suites being just over and lower suites coming in at about 980 square feet."
RE/MAX Realty's Bill Thiessen says the suites at Regent Estates Condominiums, which will all be open-concept in design, are going to be genuinely affordable.
"The price will be the same for all eight units -- $174,900 plus GST, which will bring the price to approximately $181,000 and change," he says. "Homes in the area are still selling for $200,000 and under, so we thought that would be a fair price point. We thought it would be important to allow people in the area to make the transition from a house to a condominium at approximately the same price."
Making the units affordable doesn't mean they won't be well-finished, Devlin adds.
"In addition to having an open, modern interior, each suite will feature maple hardwoods throughout, with the exception of the bathroom and utility room," he says.
"All will be two-bedroom units with one bathroom, and a kitchen that comes with white thermofoil cabinets with raised panels. Countertops will be arborite, but there will be the option to upgrade. Each unit will also have its own heating and cooling system."
Although the building will be wood-frame, two features will ensure that suite interiors will be as quiet as possible.
"The whole complex will be well-insulated so as to dampen as much exterior noise as possible," Devlin explains. "We also went with triple-pane Jeld-Wen windows to complement the sound insulation, so that sound transfer, both inside and outside, will be kept to a minimum. It was important to us to build in as much sound insulation, given the complex faces onto a busier street."
Thiessen believes buyers (the complex is already 60 per cent sold, despite minimal advertising) will be pleased with the design.
"For example, each unit has a run that goes into its foyer for separation, and it's only one step up to main-floor units, so they will be ideal for people with mobility issues. You're also about five minutes (on foot) to a variety of amenities, and bus service is literally at your door," he says. "There are a lot of small things that make the suites so livable. They're generously sized and will be delivered at a very high level of finish."
Plus, there's the fact that Regent Estates has been built on an infill lot, with back-lane access, no less. "It just makes sense to make use of existing infrastructure," Thiessen says, adding that the goal for completion is Sept. 1.
"The complex will be set amongst mature trees in an ideal location. Most importantly, the design will fit the neighbourhood. It's been designed to fit in with the surroundings, yet have the modern touches people want to have. The bottom line is that it's an efficient, modern design that will offer contemporary, convenient housing in an established neighbourhood."
The Devlins, who are looking for more sites to develop in the Transcona area, say they're very passionate about Regent Estates.
"It's all about the personal touch," Carla says. "As a smaller builder, it's very important to us.
"There hasn't been much here for people who want to get into high-quality new housing. We wanted to deliver an affordable, well-built condominium complex. Once everything is finished, I think people will see that we've done our best to put out the best product possible."
DETAILS
Regent Estates Condominiums
Address: 700 Regent Ave. at Moroz Street
Builder: Carrington Homes
Size: 980 to 1,000 sq. ft.
Type: Two-storey, eight-bedroom, wood-frame complex
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1
Price: $174,900 plus GST
Condominium fees: Approximately $170
Taxes: $2,000 (projected)
Contact: Bill Thiessen, RE/MAX Realty, @ 255-4204
