SOUTH VANCOUVER CALLING
At Fraser Commons, Serracan brings it all close to home
Serracan Properties founder Gino Nonni has been in the real estate business for 35 years and his company’s work spans nearly every type, whether mixed-use, commercial or residential. Serracan’s latest venture is Fraser Commons, a residential development in south Vancouver, the first under the company’s new Serracan City Living brand.
“The single most important thing we’ve done over the years has been to really listen to the community and our customers about the things that are important to them,” Nonni said. “Real estate plays a big part in determining the quality of people’s lives so taking the time to build strong relationships with communities is essential.”
For Fraser Commons, Nonni said the company took a neighbourhood consultation approach, which strongly influenced the plan and inclusive nature of the development itself. This is most evident in the half-acre park and a daycare at the centre of Fraser Commons, developed in close consultation with the neighbourhood and the City of Vancouver. The development also includes a fitness centre and a private, open-air rooftop terrace on the sixth floor.
“Serracan is a family-owned, Vancouver company,” Nonni said. “With Fraser Commons, we were very careful about the people we chose to work with. Whether it was our marketing partners at Rennie, the architects at Francl Architecture or Cristina Oberti Interior Design, we knew that they shared our vision for the project and for the neighbourhood.”
Fraser Commons will comprise four buildings of between five and 21 storeys. There will be a total of 363 homes of one to three bedrooms, ranging in size between 438 and 1,059 square feet. Prices start at $439,900 for a one-bedroom unit, $709,900 for a two-bedroom residences and $991,900 for a threebedroom home. There’s plenty of variety on offer with no fewer than 28 floor plans to choose from.
“There will be amenities right there on site in the form of shops and services on the ground floor so residents can go on down and grab a coffee, visit the bank or go to the doctor’s office,” Nonni said. “Serracan will maintain control over the types of businesses we’ll have there because we recognize that it adds value to the homes when the manager and owner of the building can vouch for the quality of the businesses and amenities in the development.”
Fraser Commons sits at the intersection of Fraser Street and Southeast Marine Drive. It’s within striking distance of the Canada Line, which connects directly to downtown Vancouver to the north or Richmond and the airport to the south. The amenities at Marine Gateway, the Sunset Community Centre, Langara College, three local parks, a number of neighbourhood schools, Oakridge Centre shopping mall and Fraserview Golf Course are all easily accessible.
“I’m also personally very pleased that we’ll have a state-of-the-art daycare on site,” Nonni added. “There’s a big shortage of daycare spots in Vancouver and these days many parents both work so we’re definitely meeting a need. It makes a big difference to families when you have a daycare that’s close to home.”
The homes at Fraser Commons are air conditioned, with wood laminate flooring and oversized windows offering views of the city and the Fraser River. Every home comes with a front-loading Whirlpool washer and dryer.
The kitchens feature imported European Armony cabinetry from Inform Kitchens, with lacquer and laminate finishes and integrated under-cabinet lighting.
There are quartz countertops and hexagonal porcelain tile backsplashes. The appliance packages are by Bosch and include 30-inch built-in custom panel bottom-freezer refrigerators, 24-inch integrated dishwashers, 30-inch stainless steel wall ovens, 30-inch stainless steel gas cooktops and 30-inch stainless steel pullout hood fans. (The onebedroom homes have 24-inch appliances).
Bathrooms and ensuites have large-format porcelain tiles along walls and floors. There are floating bathroom vanities from Armony cabinetry with quartz countertops and rectangular porcelain undermount sinks. The Swiss-designed medicine cabinets are from Sidler International and there are builtin shower niches. The two- and three-bedroom homes have white soaker bathtubs. There are frameless, tempered-glass shower enclosures and polished chrome Grohe shower fixtures.
Nonni said much of the interest in the homes has come from the neighbourhood immediately surrounding the Fraser Commons site and this is, in part, because of the extensive connections that Serracan built with the local community.
“My philosophy and history in business has been to collaborate with all stakeholders, including residential communities, in my approach to development and to transforming both commercial and residential neighbourhoods,” Nonni said.
“The demand for Fraser Commons has been excellent and, more importantly, the feedback from the community based on our inclusive process has been very positive.”
The presentation centre for Fraser Commons includes a onebedroom and a two-bedroom show suite and is open from noon to 5 p.m. every day.
The developers expect Fraser Commons to be completed by the winter of 2021.