VIVACE SETS THE PACE FOR CONNECTED LIVING
Convenience at the doorstep for residents of West Springs development
Graeme Homann knows what’s special about having a home on the west end of Calgary.
He’s lived in the well-connected West Springs area since 2004, after relocating to another part of the city from Johannesburg, South Africa, a few years earlier. When the 28-year-old accountant decided to get a place of his own, he was keen to stay nearby.
Homann bought an apartmentstyle condo at Vivace at West 85th and moved in earlier this year. The two-building development featuring contemporary exterior architecture is by Streetside Developments, part of Qualico, and Bri-mor Developments.
The location of these condos stood out.
“You’ve got convenience,” says Homann, pointing to the host of amenities lining 85th Street S.W. “Everything you need is right in the area.”
This includes an assortment of places to bank, fill up the tank, go for a coffee or ice cream, get a haircut, workout, shop and dine.
At Vivace, Homann is a short walk from two grocery stores, with a No Frills part of the commercial development across the street, and a Calgary Co-op just a bit further down the road.
“Because my bus stop is literally right there, if you’re coming home from work and it’s ‘oh shoot, I need milk,’ you can just stop in and grab that, and continue on your way home,” Homann says. “You don’t have to make a separate trip out in the evening.”
Homann enjoys the ease of a 10-minute bus ride to the 69th Street LRT station, carrying him to his job in downtown Calgary each day.
His decision to buy at Vivace was buoyed by his early confidence in the company behind it.
“My parents had built with a different builder of the Qualico group,” says Homann. “Knowing the quality of the parent company ... it was a huge selling feature that it was a Streetside development.”
The first building at Vivace, now constructed, is around 75 per cent sold, with remaining one-bedroom condos ranging from the $270,000s to $290,000s, and two- and threestorey townhomes ranging from the $470,000s. In both cases the GST is included.
There are four show suites on display in the development’s opening phase.
Pre-construction sales are now open on two-bedroom condos in the second building, with releases on the other options coming in the near future.
The two-bedroom plans are in the mid-$350,000s, with square footage ranging from 928 to 1,245 square feet.
“Our suites offer current and sophisticated looks having highly functional layouts conducive to efficient, low maintenance lifestyles,” says Donna McQueen, area sales manager at Vivace.
The floor plan Homann decided on is 856 square feet and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Working toward his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, he’s earmarked the second bedroom as a quiet place to tuck away and concentrate on studies.
He picked an east-facing condo, giving him morning sunshine rather than the stronger afternoon heat. The sight lines are ideal, too.
“I personally think I’ve got fantastic views,” Homann says. “I am looking straight out, over the roofs of the neighbourhood behind ... down the street, on the one side you’ve got this tree-lined street area, and the other side, you’ve got this view straight downtown.”
For many buyers, the kitchen plays an important role, and Homann is no exception. “From time to time, I do successfully bake,” Homann jokes.
“I do enjoy cooking,” he adds. “It’s a nice, relaxing activity.”
Rather than being over-sized, pulling in important square-footage from other parts of the condo, he calls his kitchen “highly functional,” and says “it’s got everything.”
“The centre island provides a lot of counter space for cooking and baking, and next to the stove, there’s a lot of counter space, as well,” he says.
“There’s more than enough cupboard space and a fantastic-sized fridge and freezer.”
A staple for kitchens at Vivace is an island that connects to an integrated dining table.
“It matches your countertop, so it’s seamless,” Homann. “You’ve got this nice crisp clean coun-
ter ...and this continuous flow, throughout.”
McQueen says the kitchens at Vivace combine functionality and style. “With an abundance of cabinetry, clean lines and unique aspects such as our integrated dining table, it’s definitely the hub gathering spot for friends and family,” she says.