Inner-city buyer reaches for sky
The Guardian project in Victoria Park to be tallest residential tower in Calgary
Driving through downtown Calgary, the last thing Ricardo Anguiano expected to find was his next home.
That changed, though, when the native of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, passed by the future site of The Guardian, a much-anticipated, 321unit condo development by Hon Towers Ltd. in Victoria Park.
“I’m not going to lie — it caught my attention,” says Anguiano.
At 42 storeys, The Guardian will be the tallest residential tower in the city when completed in December 2014.
“There’s prominence to that,” says Nicholas Hon, president of Hon Towers.
Anguiano bought a one-bedroom suite at The Guardian — and he wasn’t the only one.
Earlier this year, 12 groups camped overnight outside of the project’s temporary sales centre to guarantee a place in line during the first day of sales.
A permanent sales centre recently opened featuring onebedroom and two-bedroom show suites.
The Guardian offers a wide assortment of units, says Hon.
One-bedroom suites start at 441 square feet and go up to two-bedroom units of 1,830 square feet.
The “cornerstone” feature of each unit is the kitchen, says Hon. Fully integrated Armony Cucine kitchens that are manufactured in Italy will be installed in The Guardian.
“They’re very modern and very clean,” says Hon.
The suites will also feature floor-toceiling, thermal-efficient windows that welcome natural light and offer views that include the nearby Bow River.
Bathrooms will feature large mirrors with polished edges, a shower with floor-to-ceiling tempered glass doors, a deep Hytec soaker tub and European-inspired polished chrome bathroom hardware.
Balconies will average 148 square feet, providing generous space for entertaining guests or barbecuing.
The units will also boast open-concept floor plans, offering a natural flow between the kitchen, living room and dining room.
“I love the openness,” says Anguiano. “That’s just perfect for me.”
While the tower portion of The Guardian is entirely residential, an attached podium will include live/work and commercial spaces in addition to owner amenities.
Those amenities will include a large exercise facility and yoga studio.
The gym will contain exercise machines and TVS, while the yoga studio will feature full-length mirrors, hardwood floors and yoga mats.
Also available inside the tower will be a social club and garden terrace that can be booked for hosting parties.
The 1,350-square-foot space will contain a beverage fridge and an 18-seat onyx table.
To have that view of the river and be so close to the Stampede grounds and the Saddledome — that’s perfect.
RICARDO ANGUIANO
The social club will also have a fireplace, big-screen TVS and high-end furnishings.
There will also be a workshop, located in the parkade, equipped with a work bench and an assortment of hand tools.
Hon expects this space to be popular with skiers and cyclists.
“I think one of the things people miss when they move out of a house is having a garage where they can work on their toys,” says Hon.
Much of the early buyer interest in The Guardian has come from people in single-family homes, rather than renters or people living in other condos, he says. “They’re coming from the suburbs and across the city.”
The site of The Guardian previously belonged to Torode Residential Ltd., which planned to construct a threebuilding residential development called arriva. But with only one building completed, it moved into receivership and was purchased by Hon Towers.
As a resident of the inner-city neighbourhood, which is close to the Stampede grounds, Hon says it was easy to see the opportunity. “Victoria Park is an up and coming area.”
Anguiano agrees.
“To have that view of the river and be so close to the Stampede grounds and the Saddledome — that’s perfect,” he says.