ELLA redefines downtown living
Special To Okanagan Weekend Walking along Bernard Avenue, it isn’t hard to see why the Bernard District has become one of Kelowna’s most desired neighbourhoods.
A few steps in either direction and you can find everything you want or need at your fingertips, from a plethora of boutique coffee shops to satisfy your pumpkin spice craving or unique retail stores to indulge your shoe addiction, to cozy bars and local eateries to suit every taste bud.
It comes as no surprise that Mission Group’s first high-rise concrete condominium tower, ELLA will be in the heart of this amenity rich area.
“ELLA is the right product for this location. Kelowna is ready for a sophisticated concrete tower in the Bernard District,” says JoAnne Adamson, Mission Group’s vice-president of marketing and sales.
With vibrant street-front retail, greened terraces and a visually distinct residential tower, this richly detailed building will not only complement this buzzing community but will also remain elegant and refined long-term.
Featuring an impressive WalkScore® of 97 just steps from Okanagan Lake, ELLA offers a convenient lifestyle where everything is within reach. This walker’s paradise is the perfect home for urbanites seeking an enhanced life.
“ELLA was designed for a diverse, but like-minded group of owner occupiers that want to be downtown, want to be in the action and want to live in a vibrant and engaging neighbourhood,” Adamson says.
That could be, she adds, anyone from a young tech professional to “a downsizer coming from a 4,000-square-foot single-family home.”
This 20-storey boutique contemporary building offers 116 residences with expansive outdoor entertainment spaces, including four unique penthouses — two of which have already been sold — and two-bedroom homes that boast sweeping lake, mountain and city views.
At 70 per cent sold, these limited homes will not last long. Just ask new ELLA purchaser Lorraine Haasbroek.
“People see this as a place of energy and excitement. With that, coupled with young professionals wanting to be where the energy is and boomers wanting to downsize, there’s this trend to really want to be here,” Haasbroek told the Calgary Herald.
Inside, homeowners will be greeted with luxurious quality, sophisticated design and timeless inclusions that make life better.
Each home comes equipped with modern two-tone European-style kitchens worthy of any master chef.
The integrated appliances and dazzling quartz countertops will be the envy of family and friends, while the natural gas cooktop, spacious kitchen island that features double waterfall gable-ends and doublebowl undermount stainless steel sink with matte black faucet, as well as the built-in pantry, will make whipping up your culinary masterpiece a breeze.
And while you are channelling your inner chef, your guests can marvel at the sweeping lake, mountain and city views from your private spacious balcony or your living room through the expansive windows that extend to the ceilings.
Luxuriate in the spa-inspired bathrooms, where it is easy to soak your stress away in the tub or the walk-in shower encased in custom frameless 10mm glass with floor-toceiling tile.
Every home is well-designed and comes with wide plank vinyl flooring throughout the living room and kitchen, a laundry centre for easy clothing maintenance, natural gas outlets for barbecues and contemporary roller shades to offer privacy and light control.
The unique floorplans really appealed to Haasbroek, a retiree who was looking to downsize.
“I like the layout because you don’t walk right into the kitchen, which at a lot of places you do. This has more of a feeling of a home,” she says.
This high-quality concrete construction, ideally situated in an amenity rich neighbourhood, comes with low strata fees which means you won’t have to pay for facilities that you may not want or need.
Instead, you can spend your money on the things that matter to you, whether that is buying those pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing or finally getting those season entertainment tickets you’ve always wanted.
Other building features include state-of-the art security, FOB access entry, FOB control elevators that restricts access to residents only and an on-site community director to oversee building maintenance while ensuring your daily needs are met.
“Our one splurge was to budget for an onsite community director, more of a 9-5 job.
“That person is there to make sure the building is well-maintained, take care of the residents’ needs — if there are courier packages while you’re at work, they can receive them for you. It also increases the safety of the building,” Adamson says.
For the ultimate hosting occasion, the reimagined lobby serves as ELLA’s exclusive private club for owners for socializing or relaxing with family and friends, perfect for everything from meetings to cocktail parties.
And for pet owners? These pet-friendly homes come complete with a pet wash bay off the lobby to ensure those muddy paws don’t go home with you.
ELLA will be the epitome of concrete high-rise living, the benefits of which are indisputable: minimal sound transfer, extreme durability, longevity and unsurpassed quality. Whisper-quiet and worryfree living for years to come. At ELLA, regardless of background or age, you will feel like you belong.
For urbanites, amenities and location can sometimes compromise quality and style. But as Mission Group’s newest community proves, you really can have it all when living your downtown dream.
To learn more about ELLA, please visit the website liveatella.com or the presentation centre located at 489 Bernard Ave, open noon to 5 p.m. Saturday to Thursday.