Calgary Herald

NEW BEGINNINGS AT AXESS IN CURRIE

Young couple impressed by the community’s amenities, opportunit­ies to enjoy the outdoors

- JOSH SKAPIN

It’s going to be a memorable few months for Jeff Matthews and Allyson Bissky.

They’re getting married, honeymooni­ng in France and Greece, buying a dog, and moving.

After living in a rental for the past 21/2 years, the couple will soon be in a place of their own. They bought an apartment-style condo at Axess by Slokker-West in the southwest community of Currie.

The stylish multi-family developmen­t has townhomes, as well. First possession­s are in October and a show suite at the develop- ment opens this September. The couple wanted something that would suit their immediate needs and bring them value on the resale market when it’s time to move into something larger.

“The location was the main seller,” says Matthews, who works in sales. Bissky is a senior land- scape architect. He points to the site’s proximity to Mount Royal University and the shops, services and places to dine at Marda Loop. “You have all your amenities,” Matthews says.

Slokker’s chief operating officer Tom Hong agrees, calling the location “phenomenal.”

And there’s more on the way. A later phase of Currie, its neighbourh­ood core, is planned to include 200,000 square feet of commercial developmen­t and an urban plaza. This segment of the community will feature an anchor grocery store, shops and restaurant­s. Currie, formerly dubbed Currie Barracks, is the third and last Canadian Forces Base Calgary site under redevelopm­ent by Canada Lands Co.

The plans for the community sound “promising,” says Matthews, adding “If we have the opportunit­y to stay in Currie long-term, that would be ideal.”

“We have already started walking around the community and getting a feel for it,” he adds. The couple is impressed by its pathways and commitment to park spaces, which will be ideal for walking the dog they’ve decided to get after moving in.

Their future pet was also top of mind when picking a condo on the building’s main floor, which makes those outings more accessible, Matthews says. At build-out, Axess will have 164 apartment-style condos, 18 townhomes and 15 studios.

The apartment-style condos are in two four-storey buildings.

“There are large windows throughout the units, high ceilings and open-concept floor plans that are great for entertaini­ng,” says Hong.

Attainable prices have also contribute­d to the developmen­t’s success, Hong says. This has helped attract young profession­al singles and couples. The second condo building currently starts at $305,000, before tax.

That gets buyers a floor plan with one bedroom measuring 663 square feet. The other one-bedroom option has a den and spans 764 square feet. For two bedrooms, there’s a 767-square-foot plan with one bathroom and another that’s 954 square feet that comes with two bathrooms.

Then there’s a 536-square-foot studio plan and two for the townhome segment, both reaching 1,268 square feet. One of the townhomes has two bedrooms, the other three.

The studios, which are stacked beneath the townhomes, are 536 square feet. Townhomes at Axess start in the $550,000s plus GST and studios start in the $240,000s.

“We loved the decor and the entire look, starting from the floor to the cabinets, counters and the bathroom,” says Matthews, adding how refreshing it is to move to a place where everything is new.

These units include nine-foot ceilings, wood plank flooring, generous balconies, open kitchens with an eating bar and under-counter LED ( light-emitting diode) lighting, along with solid porcelain tile in the entryway, bathrooms and laundry area.

Matthews works from home and says either the den or a study niche near the kitchen will be ideal.

The cooking space was also on the couple’s checklist. They liked its stainless steel appliance package.

“The kitchen was definitely a huge part of it,” says Matthews, adding their new place with be a nice step-up from where they were renting. “We do a lot of cooking at home. We are home bodies, trying to save as much as possible and tend to make a lot of our own meals.”

 ?? DON MOLYNEAUX ?? Jeff Matthews and Allyson Bissky said they wanted something that would suit their immediate needs and bring them value later on the resale market.
DON MOLYNEAUX Jeff Matthews and Allyson Bissky said they wanted something that would suit their immediate needs and bring them value later on the resale market.
 ?? PHOTOS: SLOKKER- WEST ?? Jeff Matthews and Allyson Bissky’s kitchen at Axess will look something like this artist’s sketch.
PHOTOS: SLOKKER- WEST Jeff Matthews and Allyson Bissky’s kitchen at Axess will look something like this artist’s sketch.
 ??  ?? An artist’s rendering shows the front exterior of a townhome segment, created for Axess in Currie by Slokker-West.
An artist’s rendering shows the front exterior of a townhome segment, created for Axess in Currie by Slokker-West.

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