RETREAT’S MAGICAL SETTING
Access to outdoor activities vital to families eyeing Cranston’s new Riverstone development
When Hollie Giggie was asked to house sit in Cranston’s Riverstone, it didn’t just help a friend, but solidified an important life decision, too.
The 36-year-old was considering her options for a new home, including a townhome development in the scenic southeast Calgary community.
Giggie had heard of Riverstone, but until she stayed there for a few weeks last summer, she didn’t know anything about it.
The community made an impression.
“There’s just something so magical down there,” says Giggie, who works in human resources.
“The river is right there, and it’s just so quaint. You come to the top of the hill and it’s like bam!”
She’s referring to the point at which the established community of Cranston looks over Riverstone with its vast green spaces and the Bow River.
Giggie’s reaction is one Brookfield Residential’s development manager Kelly Halliday is familiar with. The striking views are popular with people who have decided to move to Riverstone.
“They’re in awe of the beauty when you come down that hill and you see the landscape,” says Halliday.
Brookfield is the developer for Cranston’s Riverstone, and its builder division is behind the community’s new multi-family development Retreat in Riverstone, which is where Giggie bought her new home.
“There is so much to do in Cranston’s Riverstone in terms of access to the outdoors,” Halliday says. “It’s an unparalleled location. There’s access to park space, pathways, trails.”
Retreat is planned for 178 townhomes, including stacked bungalows from the mid-$200,000s and two-storey models from the low $300,000s. In both cases, the price includes the GST.
This is Brookfield’s second townhome development in Riverstone, following Mosaic Riverstone, which is sold out.
Riverstone also offers singlefamily homes from Baywest Homes, Albi Luxury by Brookfield Residential, Calbridge Homes, Ce- darglen Homes, and Trico Homes. There are villas from Calbridge in the community, too.
Since opening sales in September 2017, about 40 per cent of Retreat’s opening release has been sold.
The development offers nine floor plans in total, ranging from 744 to 1,432 square feet. They come with either a single or double attached garage.
More than 30 homes at Retreat are currently under construction, says Halliday, adding “there are opportunities to choose your (interior) selections.
“So even if they’re under construction, there are a lot of opportunities to personalize.”
The construction at Retreat includes four show homes, slated to open this March.
Giggie bought the Ruby floor plan, one of the development’s stacked bungalows, measuring 919 square feet.
To her, “coziness” was key, but so was the ability to host get-togethers.
“I’m a social, bubbly person so I want something that’s very welcoming, bright with a lot of light,” Giggie says.
“So when choosing my home, that was important.”
It has two bedrooms that sit side by side along the back of the home and features an L-shaped kitchen that opens to a spacious great room.
“There’s quite a social area,” says Giggie. “It’s open, it’s welcoming.”
In her down time, Giggie enjoys cooking, so when deciding on a floor plan, she kept an eye on the kitchen.
“There’s a lot of cupboard space, a lot of counter space,” she says. “It’s phenomenal.
“My background is Ukrainian so my mom is teaching me how to make perogies, cabbage rolls and traditional Ukrainian food, but I’ll try anything. I’m not much of a baker but when it comes to hosting dinners, I like to experiment.”
The benefits of Cranston’s Riverstone haven’t just made it a draw for home buyers, but earned it industry accolades, too.
Riverstone won the community development category at the Building Industry and Land Development Alberta Association’s 2017 Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Alberta Awards of Excellence in Housing, which were announced last September.
The community — surrounded by 145 hectares in environmental reserve — sits near the Bow River and Fish Creek Provincial Park.
“I like to bike and blade,” says Giggie. “It is nice that option is available with the pathways and everything else.”
But while Riverstone feels wellremoved from city life, it isn’t.
“It feels like I’m so far away from the ordinary, but yet I’m so close to reality,” Giggie says. “It’s a winwin.”
This includes what’s in the community itself. Cranston Market is an established retail complex with an assortment of handy amenities.
“I love the fact that all I have to do is drive to the top of the hill and there’s a Sobeys grocery store, liquor store, bar, a coffee shop — everything is right there,” says Giggie. “It’s so convenient.”
Cranston is also located just across the Deerfoot Trail overpass to Seton.
At 283 hectares (700 acres), Seton is one of the largest mixed-use developments in Calgary. It will contain up to 1.5 million square feet of office space and one million square feet of retail space.
Seton will also include a high school, large recreation centre, movie theatre and assisted living/ nursing home.
It’s already home a wide assortment of established businesses — including grocery stores — and Calgary’s newest hospital, the South Health Campus.