NEW CONDO HITS THE MARK WITH LAYOUT AND LOCATION
Sage Hill’s Mark 101 offers affordable option with easy mountain access for outdoor lovers
It’s rare to see Meaghan Dockrill and Chris Gonzalez in the city on a Saturday and Sunday.
This past summer, there were only two weekends when the active young couple wasn’t camping and hiking near the Rockies. And during the winter months, with Gonzalez a snowboarder and Dockrill a skier, they’ll be spending plenty of time in that direction again.
This was one of the reasons the couple, who are engaged to be married in October 2018, wanted to buy their first home in northwest Calgary. They decided on an apartment-style condo at the Mark 101 in Sage Hill by Shane Multi-Family, part of Shane Homes Group of Companies.
In fact, they first stopped in at the sales centre while driving home from a day in Canmore.
“Because we like to go to the mountains so much — we pretty much spend every single weekend there — we needed somewhere that wasn’t going to take us an extra half an hour to drive,” says Dockrill, an assistant fitness manager and personal trainer at World Health. Gonzalez is in the graphic business.
Sage Hill is a community masterplanned by Anthem United in the city’s Symons Valley corridor.
“( We’re) right on Stoney Trail so we are able to just zip out to the mountains,” she adds.
The Mark 101 will have 206 condos at build-out and recently opened pre-construction sales on its second building, comprised of 67 condos. The first building, which is more than 90 per cent sold, will have possessions available in November and December of this year.
In the latest building, the current starting price is $197,900, before tax.
Potential buyers can get a taste for the options they have with three new show suites slated for a grand opening Sunday at noon. Two food trucks and representatives from First Calgary offering pre-mortgage approvals will be on-hand, as well.
In deciding on the condo they wanted, the couple considered factors such as affordability, the functionality of the floor plan, its standard specifications, and that a “reputable company,” was behind it, says Dockrill.
“We really liked the product that was at the Mark 101,” Dockrill says. “We didn’t have to do a lot of upgrading on the condo itself. It already came with granite, it came with the vinyl plank (flooring), everything we were looking for.”
Other notable standards include kitchens with full-height maple shaker cabinets, a stainless steel Whirlpool appliance package, and full-height tile around the tub and shower.
“We’ve introduced a lot of houselike finishes,” says Dianne Bidinost, area manager for the development. She says people “love the spacious feeling that comes from the nine- foot ceilings on every floor, the six-foot tall windows and transom windows on top.”
She also points to having floor plans with ample storage, welcoming kitchens and walk-in laundry rooms.
Gonzalez and Dockrill picked a 600-square-foot condo with one bedroom and one bathroom.
There’s a 95-square-foot balcony, as well.
It makes an entrance, says Dockrill. “The biggest thing that appealed to me about the suite was that we didn’t walk into a kitchen,” she says. “For houses and whatnot, you don’t walk into a kitchen, but we found a lot of condo units (do).”
At their place, there’s a small hallway before entering the condo’s primary shared spaces. A laundry room/storage space and place to hang their jackets is along the way.
From there, “it opens up and has a really nice open concept,” Dockrill adds. She singles out the appeal of the U-shaped kitchen, with an extended eating bar, where the couple can enjoy many of their meals.
Dockrill also points to the size of their bedroom. At 11 feet by 11 feet, it eclipses spaces they’ve seen or heard about in similarly sized condos at other developments.
“We can put a king-sized bed in there,” she says.
In the new building at the Mark 101, there are eight floor plans ranging from 610 to 947 square feet. They come in one bedroom and one bathroom, one bedroom plus den and one bathroom, and two bedroom and two bathroom orientations.
Beyond its proximity to the mountains, the site is also a boon for people who value convenient access to places where they can shop, dine, buy a coffee, along with a host of other handy businesses.
“The location is huge,” says Bidinost. “There are so many businesses right there.”
She says the community’s parks and pathways are a draw, as well.
One of the retail complexes near the condo development is Sage Hill Crossing, anchored by a Walmart Superstore and Loblaws City Market.
Just outside of Sage Hill, residents are also near a commercial hub in Nolan Hill, along with Creekside Shopping Centre and Beacon Hill Shopping Centre, which has a Costco.
The location is huge. There are so many businesses right there.