‘THE RISE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED’
Bri-Mor Developments offers customizable homes in a vibrant, boutique community
With the average resale price of an estate home in Calgary’s West Springs area pegged at $1 millionplus, Megan and Steve Berman pounced on the opportunity to build in the Rise at West Grove Estates.
“We had sold our house in Scenic Acres and were looking to move to this area, but we were trying to decide whether to build or buy,” says Megan.
The couple looked at beautiful homes in Calgary ’s west end, but in weighing the cost of renovating to create the home they wanted versus building from scratch, they found the latter to be the best option. Especially since the price of a perfect home came in at just under $800,000.
Steve also professed that the thought of living in a new area where everyone is moving in at the same time was very appealing.
“It would be easier to get to know the neighbours,” he says.
Cedarglen Homes and Albi Luxury by Brookfield Residential are the exclusive builders working in the boutique community. The Bermans went with Cedarglen.
“Our good friends (with several children) built down the street with Albi. We have just one child and didn’t need the same amount of square footage, plus Cedarglen gave us more options,” Steven says.
The family moved into their new home in July, and Megan has enrolled their three-year-old son Jack in school.
“We already know six or seven of our neighbours. We all go for walks with our kids and end up at one end of the street chatting together,” Megan says.
Jennifer and Cameron Sherban also found the Rise to be affordable, given current prices for resale homes in the West Springs area. With two growing children and a strong desire to live in that neighbourhood, the couple discovered the community by following roadside signs.
“We’d been looking for about five years and everything we liked was around $1.5 million,” Jennifer says. “The Rise is exactly what we wanted, and there was value in getting pre-construction prices.”
The Sherbans built a house with more than 2,500 square feet above grade, on a hand-picked lot next to a park.
Jennifer says Albi worked with them to customize the plan and included basement development for a home gym, TV room, bar, guest bedroom and bathroom.
“There are great schools here, the kids can get outside and safely ride their bikes and it’s so convenient to downtown,” she says.
“It’s an easy commute and you gain a couple of extra hours every week at home — that was huge to us.”
The recently completed Activation Park, just one of several in the community, has play structures and outdoor exercise equipment for adults, something Jennifer says she really appreciates.
The Rise, by Calgary-based BriMor Developments, will have just 200 homes at final build out, completing the last two phases of the successful West Grove Estates community.
“We currently have 25 per cent of the lots remaining to be built, with many already calling the Rise home,” says Matthew Halliwell, associate manager of real estate development and finance. “The Rise has experienced great success because of the value and lifestyle it brings to all homeowners.”
Albi and Cedarglen Homes, as exclusive builders in the community, were chosen for their “extraordinary attention to detail,” Halliwell says.
Each has specifically designed and constructed homes that reflect the family unit while maintaining an estate-like feel. Both have model homes located on West Grove Way S.W.
The Rise lies west of Coach Hill Road S.W. and east of 77th Street S.W., on the north side of 11th Avenue S.W. The neighbourhood is a few minutes drive from the shopping and dining areas of West 85th and Aspen Landing and is minutes from Westside Recreation Centre
and WinSport Canada Olympic Park. The West Springs area has a wealth of public and separate schools and many of Calgary’s top private schools such as Webber Academy, Rundle College, the Calgary International French School and Ambrose University.
Bri-Mor has included 2.83 hectares (seven acres) of green space in the development, including a reflective park, fields and playgrounds for kids and adults alike, a junior soccer field and outdoor stage for community programing.
Flowering crabs, carpet junipers and a dedicated parcel of native trees and shrubs in the parks and along the pathways in the Rise add to the natural beauty of the West Springs area.
Halliwell says home prices in the Rise start in the mid-$700,000s.
“Not only are we seeing young professionals and active families in the community, we are also seeing downsizers who are seeking to join a vibrant and tight-knit community. We encourage people to come and see our gorgeous show homes, but to also take a community walking tour through the parks so they can appreciate all the Rise has to offer,” he says.