OFF TO A GOOD START
Chestermere construction
Alberta’s newest city has seen an upswing in construction starts of single-family homes over the first two months of 2015 compared to a year ago, says a federal agency.
Shovels turned for 48 single family homes in Chestermere between Jan. 1 and the end of February, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. This marks a 12 per cent climb from 43 starts through the same months in 2014. At the same time, single-family home starts in the city of Calgary pulled back to 527 from 745. Duplex starts in Chestermere also grew to 10 from eight.
“I grew up in Chestermere, so I have seen all of the wonderful changes and the new exciting development,” says Sylvia Lee, area manager for Homes by Avi in Westmere. Homes by Avi is one of four builders in the community, including Albi Homes, ReidBuilt Homes and Lifestyle Homes.
This is a 178-hectare community master-planned by Melcor Developments.
Not only were construction starts in Chestermere up, so was the number of single-family homes where construction was already underway. There were 427 singlefamily homes under construction in Chestermere during the first two months of 2015, up from a year earlier when there were 370 builds in progress.
“What we often hear Calgarians say is that Chestermere feels like an escape from a busy life in the busy city,” says Lee.
“Residents have the luxury to enjoy year-round outdoor activities on Chestermere Lake. It’s not just a small lakeside town — new amenities are on the rise, as well as new home construction.”
Shawn Getty is an area manager for Sterling Homes in Kinniburgh and Kinniburgh South, which is another community taking shape in Chestermere.
This community also offers homes through Stepper Custom
I grew up in Chestermere, so I have seen all of the wonderful changes, and the new exciting development.
SYLVIA LEE
Homes and Broadview Homes.
Getty says show home traffic so far in 2015 has been similar to what he saw during the same span last year.
And when it comes to why house hunters are turning to Chestermere, there are a number of factors at play, including price advantage, lot size and a quick commute to Calgary, adds Getty.
“We’re literally 20 minutes from downtown,” Getty says, adding many Calgary communities are upwards of 40 minutes from the core.
“Here, there’s almost nothing between Chestermere and downtown, the way the city is set up.”