VERVE AT HEART OF THE ACTION
East Village tower offers wealth of amenities, access to outdoor life
For Maurice Daher, moving downtown wasn’t just a personal decision, but a smart business one, too. The seasoned in-home personal trainer, who also works in holistic nutrition, bought a condo at the Verve tower by FRAM+Slokker in East Village.
Other companies currently active with residential buildings in the historic neighbourhood include Bosa Development, Knightsbridge Homes, and Battistella Developments.
“It’s about location and networking,” says Daher, who moved to Calgary from Lebanon in 1989.
From a professional standpoint, the move puts him within a convenient proximity to the many clients who live and/or have jobs in the core. Living in East Village will make growing his downtown customer base easier as well.
“I think this will be a bonus for me,” says Daher.
He praises East Village’s central location.
“I think what makes it great is that everything can be within walking distance,” Daher adds.
As a place to live, part of what makes East Village a draw is that over the past several years, it’s been substantially improved.
“It hasn’t been a great area (in the past)... and now with them spending so many dollars to revive it has been a smart move for Calgary,” says Daher.
Since 2007, the district has gone through a number of improvements as part of the Rivers District Revitalization Plan, being carried out by Calgary Municipal Land Corp.
This includes $357 million earmarked for infrastructure and development programs, which CMLC says has helped bring in about $2.7 billion of planned development.
One of the areas bolstered by this commitment was honoured in a national competition last year.
In summer 2015, work com- pleted on St. Patrick’s Island, a 12-hectare master-planned recreation area with a plaza and amphitheatre, places for children to play, restored river channels, and hiking and biking trails.
It made an impression on a judging panel through the Canadian Institute of Planners, naming the island one of the 2016 Great Places in Canada.
“This public space integrates enhanced natural spaces with public art, and urban amenities,” said a statement from the jurors.
“The recent redesign focused on connecting people with nature. The island is home to events and festivals including campfire chats and outdoor theatre and movies. A new bridge spans the Bow River and provides an elegant access to the island.”
Other improvements include the revamped Simmons Building, a historic structure that’s now a burgeoning gathering spot featuring Charbar, Sidewalk Citizen Bakery and Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters.
The National Music Centre also joined the East Village skyline, opening its doors for the first time in July 2016.
The new Central Library, valued at $245 million, is headed for East Village, as well, with an expected opening of 2018.
Another focus in the plan to rejuvenate the area has been activity around the water. With landscaping and outdoor art installations, the RiverWalk development provides long stretches of pathways along the Bow River.
“I tend to go walk there quite a bit, for hours sometimes, around the whole area,” says Daher. “You can to meet a lot of different people ... it’s a great place, especially in the summertime.”
His new home will keep him connected to the water.
“The nice thing is you get the view of the river, as well,” Daher says. “That’s really important to me.”
And there’s the outdoor space to enjoy it. His 530-square-foot one bedroom condo sits on a portion of the building that sets back, giving him a terrace measuring more than 300 square feet.
Daher’s move will see him dial back his living space from the 1,300-square-foot single-family home he now has in Beddington. But the condo is a better fit.
Living on his own, he didn’t want the wasted square footage and liked the “simple, modern, elegant,” look he found at Verve. This includes the cooking space. “I love the modern look of the kitchen and how simple it is,” Daher says.
“I shoot a lot of videos for my clients on specific cooking skills or certain foods that can be combined with others. That is a bonus for me to have a nice, simple clean background.The whole look and design, I like it. I think it’s amazing.”
Verve is 25 storeys and will contain 288 condos.
The 13th floor was poured recently, putting construction on the concrete skyscraper at about 50 per cent.
“We’ve been working with clients doing colour selections,” says Deb Pedersen, FRAM+Slokker’s director of sales. “Everyone is coming back and starting to feel the excitement of being able to move in the next year.
“Because we are a year out, we have seen an increase in interest and increase in sales,” she adds. “People can work with a year-out time frame.”
There are 30 condos remaining at Verve, with “great suites available.”
They include orientations with one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedrooms, two bedrooms plus den, sub penthouses, and one penthouse.
They range from 620 to 1,230 square feet, and start from $354,900, including parking, and before tax. Sales are available with a five per cent deposit.
On the appeal of these condos, Pedersen points to the awardwinning interior designer Cecconi Simone.
“The space that they created is beautiful and functional,” Pedersen says. “People just comment that it feels good. The design of the suites is very thoughtful.”
The building amenities are another highlight.
“We have a beautiful sixth floor terrace that has an outdoor barbecue eating area, hot tub, and lounge area,” Pedersen says.
The sixth floor also has an indoor amenity party room, with comfy couches, double-sided fireplace,
and room to dine or entertain, along with a fitness centre.
There’s a 25th floor lounge with Wi-Fi, and a second floor courtyard, too.
At street level and along the Riff, Verve will boast retail tenants including Good Earth Coffeehouse, Panago Pizza, and Barber Culture.
Upcoming residential developments in East Village include Vibe, a midrise by FRAM+Slokker, Arris by Bosa Development, and Velo by Knightsbridge Homes.