Mountain magic gets team assist
Builders work together to promote projects in Canmore development
The recreation property market is starting to pick up steam in Canmore thanks, in part, to an unorthodox alliance.
While builders are usually competitors, an unusual circumstance — the lack of a developer — is bringing out a co-operative spirit among four Canmore builders, says Bill Kocian, president of Distinctive Homes.
“It has been pretty slow up until now — until we came up with this idea to get the builders together and create an environment up here,” he says in the mountain town 100 kilometres west of Calgary.
Distinctive Homes is teaming up with Swan Group Inc., Canmore Renaissance Corp. and Alpine Homes to take up the slack after the 730-hectare Three Sisters Mountain Village development went into receivership in 2009.
If it’s your time to buy in the mountains, it’s still a good time ... You might save 10 per cent from the high. But good product is good product.
MIKE BUTT, SWAN GROUP
The builders are pulling together to help advertise the Stewart Creek portion of the project though things such as their threesistersliving.ca website.
They are also picking up duties that would otherwise be undertaken by a developer — everything from installing stone cairns and landscaping trees along a street to building up a traffic circle and maintaining the landscaping.
The four builders are confident in the area’s future, which offers a mountain playground on Banff’s doorstep that’s also in Calgary’s backyard.
“As an investment, it’s still pretty darn good,” says Mike Butt, general manager of Swan Group. “If it’s your time to buy in the mountains, it’s still a good time. Single-family (resale) homes are holding well.
“For multifamily prices, in general, there has been a slight correction with some inventory.
“We haven’t had a slash-andburn scenario. You might save 10 per cent from the high. But good product is good product.”
The builders currently have four projects underway — Renaissance at Three Sisters Mountain Village by Canmore Renaissance Corp., Serenity Ridge at Stewart Creek by the Swan Group Inc., Timberline Lodges by Alpine Home, and Venezie by Distinctive Homes.
There is a fifth project underway in the area, but show suites have not yet been built.
Three Sisters Mountain Village stretches from Canmore to Dead Man’s Flats on the south side of the Trans-canada Highway.
Until a new developer is in place, there will be no more single-family housing development — but this is a good time to look at recreation properties, says Butt.
“There will be no new product in the market for another three to four years until we get a new developer in here,” says Butt.
Eight show homes are now open in the area, offering different takes on mountain living:
The Venezie at Stewart Creek by Distinctive Homes takes its architectural influence from fire tower lookouts, with large slanted windows offering unimpeded views.
Its 32 townhome units, starting in the $690,000s, are Builtgreen Canada-certified to the top platinum standard.
“That reduces the costs to the homeowner when it comes to utilities, as well as providing better air in the house,” says Kocian.
The green aspects added to the building “had to have a costsaving issue, a comfort issue or a health issue,” he says.
On-demand hot water, heatrecovery force-air ventilation and field-tested R-23 blown insulation are some of the behind-the-scenes assets of the house.
The project’s first unit sold immediately after recently going on the market, says Kocian.
Renaissance — which is theallest project in the area at four floors — has plans for 52 units priced from just under $1 million each. “We’re offering chic, modern, metro mountain living,” says Michael Zelenski, president of Canmore Renaissance Corp. “Our design was to find something that satisfied the inner-city-living style and put it in the beautiful setting of the mountains.”
The Renaissance offers a clean, European style with top-end appliances, smart features and luxury finishes.
It includes details such as a heated private patio built to support a hot tub off the master bedroom.
Serenity Ridge’s Cascade lowrise, apartment-style condos will suit people looking for an easy getaway — and those who desire direct access to the Stewart Creek Golf Course.
Priced from $399,900, the remaining 18 chalet-style units for sale are all move-in ready. Next year, sales will begin on the Chateau’s high-end townhomes.
“You have views of the Little Sister (mountain), water pond and the 10th fairway of the golf course — and it backs onto the wildlife corridor,” says show suite hostess Jen Cuell.
The condo offers an outdoor, covered hot tub with change rooms and a gazebo. For serious shoppers, Serenity Ridge suggests its try-before-you-buy guest suite.
Timberline Lodges offers a peaceful, down-to-earth and quiet mountain retreat with attention to design details.
Mountainside townhomes and stacked townhomes are priced from the mid-$360,000s to more than $1 million.
“It’s a village within a village,” says Ann Ricord, senior sales associate with Alpine Homes.
Pathways wend between buildings, affording a pleasant stroll to the luxurious clubhouse — or avoid a cold day by using the un- derground tunnels.
The clubhouse has a spacious lounge area with a large stone fireplace, library nook, pool table and games loft, fitness room, theatre, indoor-outdoor hot tub and pool with splash deck.