A NORTH VAN INTRODUCTION
With its stellar backdrop and prime position, Park West at Lions Gate will offer high-end residency in a revitalized North Shore neighbourhood.
Mehdi Einifar and his wife Soudeh knew when they looked at the presentation suite for the first Park West at Lions Gate project on the North Shore that they wanted to settle down there because it reminded them of their home in Tehran, the capital of Iran.
Among the similarities: the mountainous backdrop.
“In every city in Iran that has a mountain nearby are the better neighbourhoods,” said Einifar, an architectural designer who moved to Canada a few years ago.
The couple had tried living in Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood, but decided they preferred the scenery of North Vancouver.
Park West, with its two concrete towers containing 258 homes overlooking a pedestrian mall, is part of an ambitious plan by the District of North Vancouver to redevelop an older, largely commercial area around Capilano and Marine Drive in North Vancouver.
Called Lions Gate Village, it is one of five town centres currently being developed in the district.
The 10-year plan eventually calls for condos and townhouses that will be home to some 2,500 people.
Threaded through the new neighbourhood will be a recreation centre and library, biking and walking trails and green spaces, all within easy access to Lions Gate Bridge and downtown Vancouver.
Nick Askew, whose firm Pacesetter Marketing is selling the Park West homes, says 80 per cent of the construction will be completed within the next five years.
“This area is going through a massive revitalization and given the proximity to downtown and Park Royal shopping centre, people are going to see this as the village around Park Royal,” he said.
A major advantage of Park West’s location is its proximity to the bridge and downtown Vancouver, Askew said. “We are literally first on and first off the North Shore. In years to come, that is going to be such an important thing.”
The Park West towers, designed by Foad Rafii, will offer enviable views of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park and Lions Gate Bridge, the inner and outer harbour and the North Shore Mountains. They are also built to the equivalent of LEED gold standards, a set of guidelines for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings.
The towers, at 19 and 23 storeys, will contain 96 one-bedroom homes, 138 two-bedroom homes and 24 three-bedroom homes ranging from 513 to 2,467 square feet.
Askew says Park West is attracting a mix of buyers, including some move-up and downsizing families.
Inside, homes feature engineered hardwood flooring, oversized windows with privacy blinds and eight-foot-nine-inch-high ceilings and expansive balcony areas.
All homes have individual temperature control and air conditioning and custom closet organizers in the main bedrooms.
The kitchen is equipped with a premium quality Miele energysaving fridge, Miele Classic Chefs five-burner gas cooktop, microwave oven and range hood.
Kitchen cabinetry is Italian made with wood-veneer finishing.
One innovation is an adjustable kitchen island with movable cabinets that allow for leg room.
Countertops are made of composite quartz with porcelain backsplashes. All homes come with an energy-efficient Blomberg washer and dryer set.
In the bathrooms, the cabinetry is Italian style with ample storage with a 24-inch wide medicine cabinet and an eco-friendly dual-flush toilet and a Grohe-designed faucet and shower system.
The towers will also have a shared 4,800-square-foot swimming pool and hot tub with a 15,000-square-foot pool deck area with a sculptured feature waterfall and fully appointed individual cabanas, chaise longues and deck tables with umbrellas.
Also included are other resort-style amenities such as a 3,500-square-foot fitness room with cardio conditioning equipment and weights, a yoga and dance studio and a spa and massage room with massage stations, dry sauna and showers.
For entertaining, there is a professional-grade kitchen, as well as a piano lounge, a billiards room and a theatre lounge with a largescreen TV.
The towers will be served by 24-hour concierge service to take grocery deliveries.
Lions Gate Village itself will be a pedestrian-oriented neighbourhood with convenience stores, including a fresh food market.
Nearby is the proposed Belle Isle Park with children’s playground, dog park and landscaped green space.
There is also a planned community recreation centre and two public art pieces designed and produced by Tucson-based artist Blessing Hancock.
Einifar says the two-bedroom suite his family purchased had a special appeal because it incorporated a feature many Iranians favour in their homes: a front-door entry that hides the home inside from view and bedrooms with doors that are entered from corridors rather than directly from the open living area.
He said he also purchased in Park West because he sees good potential for homes to appreciate in value.
“I studied the district’s master plan and decided I needed to buy something in the Lions Gate Village ... the prices are going to go up.”