Airdrie’s new 700-home Midtown plan on the move
Apex Land and community development newcomer Wenzel Developments are bringing on a new master-planned community set to add 700 homes to Airdrie.
Midtown is slated for about 36 hectares southwest of Airdrie’s downtown, just north of the existing community of Luxstone.
The community features a veteran builder group of Trico Homes, Excel Homes and Shane Homes. Its options are set to include front-attached garage single- family homes, duplexes, townhomes and park-front townhomes. Pre-construction sales are expected to start this fall.
All home options will be available in the community’s first phase, says Brenden Montgomery, Wenzel Developments’ general manager of land development.
In crafting the community, open space was key, he adds.
“We were very cognizant of that,” says Montgomery.
“Creating a linkage from the south end to Luxstone all the way through the community up until Railway Gate and adding different types of use in terms of tot lots and some active open space areas.”
The plan also capitalizes on an existing storm pond, as a focal point for residents of Midtown with an “urban feel” plaza terraced down to the pond, says Montgomery. It’s planned to include seating areas throughout and a bridge across the pond to an open space on the adjacent side.
“We look at that as a place for community gatherings and interaction. The whole comprehensive open space system is one of the things that I think will draw people to the community.”
This marks the debut as a community developer for Wenzel Developments, part of Shane Group of Companies, which includes builder Shane Homes. Apex’s work includes Heartland in Cochrane, MountainView in Okotoks and HillCrest in Airdrie. HillCrest is now in its seventh of 10 phases of development.
“We’ve worked together for years as far as the Shane Homes relationship,” Montgomery says on the collaboration with Apex.
“This is just extending that in a different way.”
Wenzel Developments is invested in a number of other communities by different developers but the company also has land holdings in Calgary.
The developer is looking to grow but in a “methodical, conscientious way,” says Montgomery.