For some time, developer Karl Devlin had been looking at a listing that featured a prime piece of pristine real estate on Henderson Highway that backed onto the Red River. When the listing suddenly disappeared, he didn't panic. Instead, he kept watching for it to pop back up on the MLS listings.
When it did, he was ready.
"It was a great piece of land -- close to downtown and with a river view. For some reason, it had fallen under the Henderson Highway corridor act, which legislated against the development of commercial developments," Devlin recalled. "When it came back on the market, I wrote an offer on the land conditional on it being rezoned for residential development. When it was approved, I was elated."
Today, the new condominium community, known as The Gates on Henderson, is under construction. It will have three two-storey buildings (two four-plexes plus an eight-plex that will overlook the river). The reason the buildings will top out at a modest two storeys is simple, said Devlin.
"We wanted the buildings to fit in with the neighbourhood (stately, older two-storey homes) and minimize the impact on neighbouring properties," says Devlin, whose company, Carrington Homes, will oversee construction. "It was important to us that the buildings blend in with the neighbourhood as much as possible."
Lead realtor for the project, Bill Thiessen, said the complex will be unobtrusive.
"When you drive by, you'll hardly know it's there. The buildings will look much like the homes around them," he said. "I just love the location. It's a real hybrid -- suburban infrastructure, yet it's only five minutes to Portage and Main."
The Gates will be known for three things: location, space and affordability.
"The location is as good as it gets," continued Thiessen. "You're close to downtown and not far at all from most other points in the city. The setting is going to be simply beautiful. The developers kept as much of the natural foliage as possible and will replace whatever they've needed to remove during construction."
Devlin added the units won't have condo-like dimensions.
"Each suite will be 1200-plus square feet and will have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. They'll be extremely generous in size," he said. "Every unit will have its own private entrance and construction will be wood frame with staggered walls and a high-tech underlay placed between the (floors) to drastically reduce sound transference."
Thiessen said today's wood-frame construction -- which has advanced light years beyond buildings 30 and 40 years old -- will offer buyers efficient, comfortable dwellings at an affordable price.
"They're going to be much like a single-family home. You'll have a limited number of neighbours, and only one common wall with other units. Wood-frame construction is coming back because not only is it more cost-effective than steel and concrete, but the new technology makes it almost as quiet," he said. "All the rooms will be larger than normal in a condo. The rooms will be separated in case you have guests."
All suites will come standard with an attractive finishing package: engineered hardwood floors, stainless-steel appliances and a neutral earth-tone colour scheme. Cabinet choices will include blond or cappuccino maple, or white thermofoil at no extra charge.
Interiors will be open-concept in design with nine-foot ceilings, oversized windows (on two to three walls) to make for a bright, cheery interior ambience. Each suite will also have its own heating and cooling unit, as well as a private balcony, laundry/storage room and attached storage unit. Building exteriors will be a smart combination of stucco and brick.
"Our goal is to deliver a functional, good-looking home without sacrificing quality," said Devlin. "Basically, we tried to think of everything we possibly could, then supersized it."
The Gates -- units will start at $239,900 -- has a lot going for it, said Thiessen, adding suites should be ready for possession by the end of 2011.
"When it's completed, The Gates will be a nice enclave near the river, at a modest price. We're very excited about it."
For more information on The Gates on Henderson, call Bill Thiessen at 255-4204.
