‘We’re right in the middle of Airdrie’
Midtown development has the location, amenities and more to draw homebuyers
When looking for a new place to live, conveniences can help drive the decision.
Jason and Amanda Siu, who got married in 2016, were ready for something larger than the 1,300-square-foot single-family home they’ve had in northwest Calgary for the past three years.
They originally considered buying in the same area, but when they saw substantially lower prices for similar homes in Airdrie, they decided there was value in moving just north of Calgary.
They bought in Midtown by Shane Communities in partnership with Apex Land. From their previous home, that’s about 10 to 15 minutes further. But as Jason says, “It really isn’t 15 minutes longer during rush hour.”
From their Calgary home, heavy traffic meant long periods looking at tail lights before reaching Deerfoot Trail on the commute to his office downtown, Jason says.
Their new community is a different story. Using the Edmonton Trail exit, “It takes us six to seven minutes to get to (Highway 2 and then) Deerfoot,” Jason says. “That saves us a lot of time. I couldn’t believe how fast it was.”
Along with its connectivity to Highway 2, Midtown is centrally located in Airdrie. The couple likes that this puts them close to amenities in the city’s downtown.
A Sobeys grocery store is a short walk from the community, but if they wanted to reach the Superstore on Veterans Boulevard or the Walmart on the southwest corner of the city, neither are far away.
“We’re right in the middle of Airdrie, so it’s fast if we go to the north of Airdrie or to the south part,” Jason says.
Midtown is also taking on conveniences of its own, with a commercial development now in place. Among the businesses in the community are a Co-op gas bar, liquor store and car wash, Panago pizza, nail salon, dentist’s office, pharmacy, and a Tim Hortons.
Having that morning coffee within easy reach has been nice.
“Before they opened, (Amanda) was going to the Tim Hortons on Yankee Valley Boulevard, which is busy, so now that Tim Hortons opened, it’s much more convenient,” says Jason.
“We have two dogs and walk them every day,” he adds. “Midtown has a little pond with a pathway around it. Our house is half a block away from that pond, so we walk around that pond, then sometimes we’ll walk over to the Tim Hortons and walk back.”
Midtown’s builder group is comprised of Excel Homes, Trico Homes, and Shane Homes. It offers front-drive single-family homes from the low $400,000s, park front street towns from the upper $300,000s, street towns from the mid-$300,000s, and both lanes and front-drive duplexes from the mid$300,000s. At build-out, the community will have about 600 homes.
On the appeal of the Midtown, Excel Homes area sales manager Cathey Tracey says buyers are pointing out the “look and feel of the community, with the pond and playground and extensive (walking paths), and the amenities right in the community.”
Two phases of residential have been developed and Midtown is now into a third. A phase started this year brings on the first lots that back onto a pond in the community and a canal that separates Midtown from the nearby commu-
nity of Luxstone.
The community, which previously only had Shane Homes selling front-drive single-family homes, has expanded to include options in the segment from Excel and Trico, as well. Other additions to the community this year include the aforementioned pathway around the pond and a plaza.
“It’s a great place,” says Brenden Montgomery, general manager of land development for Shane Communities, on the plaza. “It overlooks the whole pond and connects with the bridge. You can go grab your coffee at the Tim Hortons, walk down and have a nice chat with one of your friends or enjoy the seclusion there, as well.”
“The phase we’re building right now, we started construction on the crossing of the canal that will connect Luxstone and Midtown from both a transportation and pedestrian perspective,” he adds.
When the Sius were house hunting, they were looking for something quicker than the time spent to build a new home from scratch. They found a fit with a spec home by Shane Homes that was at the framing stage of construction, which allowed them to still make selections around its interior finishes.
The floor plan they picked was the Orion, a two-storey singlefamily home with a front-attached garage that measures nearly 200,000 square feet.
“We specifically wanted the three bedrooms upstairs plus the bonus room, which we didn’t have in our previous house,” says Jason. “You just walked upstairs and there were the three bedrooms, and there was no extra space.”
On the main level, the couple was fans of the nine-foot ceilings, large foyer, and walk-through kitchen pantry.
Mervin Arago and Lalaine Ronquillo also found a fit in Midtown. The couple, who have a two-yearold daughter, bought a duplex in the community through Trico Homes.
They first looked into Airdrie to be closer to Ronquillo’s job.
“Number one, we considered the location,” says Arago, sharing Jason’s sentiments on its connectivity. “It’s at the centre of Airdrie. In just a few minutes, you can go to the grocery store, the hardware store or the clinic. Everything is nearby in Midtown.”
With the duplex they chose, both their budget and the quality of the home were top of mind, he says, adding “I love the design.”
“It’s perfect for a small family,” adds Arago.
The couple enjoys cooking so they were also fans of the duplex’s functional kitchen.
“There is a lot of space,” Arago says.