VIVACE A WIN FOR OLYMPIANS
Couple loves proximity to training centre, travelling without maintenance concerns
One of the things many people look for in a new home is its proximity to where they work.
For Elisabeth Maier, that’s the sliding track at Canada Olympic Park. The 24-year-old full-time amateur athlete is there five days a week, training in the sport of skeleton.
Maier, who has represented Canada in nearly 100 international competitions — including the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, earlier this year — is also a first-time buyer who had her sights set on a shorter commute in, preferably, a newly built home.
Living with her family in a southeast Calgary community, she would typically spend about 45 minutes in traffic one-way.
Now she and her husband, Benjamin Maier, a bobsled pilot and two-time Olympian representing Austria, are getting to COP in record time.
Depending on traffic, it’s about a 10-minute drive.
“That’s a huge plus for us,” says Elisabeth Maier. “It’s very nice to be such a short drive away.”
They purchased a place at Vivace at West 85th by StreetSide Developments and Bri-mor Developments, which is composed of apartment-style condos and townhomes in the community of West Springs.
Constructed in two phases, Vivace South is currently providing immediate possessions, and Vivace North, which is expected to offer occupancies this spring, is about 20 per cent sold.
Condos are available from the high $200,000s and townhomes are selling from the mid$400,000s.
In both cases, this is before the addition of the GST.
At Vivace South, there are only one-bedroom condos remaining, ranging from 710 to 754 square feet. Its townhomes are 1,355 to 1,621 square feet.
Vivace North has one-bedroom and two-bedroom condos, along with penthouses, ranging from 726 to 1,189 square feet.
Moving to a condo development was also important to the Maiers.
As athletes who compete on the international stage, they’re sometimes away for long stretches of time, making maintenance while they ’re away an important consideration.
There are eight competitions on the World Cup circuit and then the sport’s world championships.
“For the most part, I’m gone from mid-October until April,” says Elisabeth, who has been involved in skeleton for the last 10 years and competing on the World Cup circuit for the past four years.
“We have our condo fees and they take care of the maintenance ... so that takes care of a lot of the stress off of our shoulders,” she adds.
The floor plan the Maiers picked is 1,010 square feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Winning their hearts was the openconcept social spaces and large outdoor terrace.
In particular, they were fans of the kitchen island, which has a lowered extension, says Elisabeth Maier.
“You can have four chairs there and that’s our table,” she says. “(StreetSide) really did an incredible job (using) space.
“It’s a very workable kitchen, so we can still entertain, as well. There are a lot of athletes that come in from different nations ... to have them over for dinners and entertain that way, there’s a really cool opportunity there.”
The couple also like their condo’s specifications.
“It’s fully equipped with top of the line appliances, which was really attractive, because we didn’t need to upgrade anything,” says Elisabeth Maier. “Basically the base model is what we got because everything was such high quality.”
The standard features at Vivace “get really good feedback,” says Brittany Andrejcin, area manager at Vivace at West 85th.
This includes thick quartz counters, a full-height tiled kitchen backsplash, luxury vinyl plank floors, nine-foot ceilings, and infloor heating.
Vivace’s location is a prize, says Andrejcin.
“They like the walkability,” she says of what buyers have said about the development. “Vivace is surrounded by all of the daily amenities that you’d need.”
As its name suggests, the development puts residents only a few steps from a wide range of shops, services and places to eat at the commercial complex West 85th.
Its businesses include Vin Room, Waves Coffee House, Yuga, Towa, Apt 22, and Colour on Fire art studio, among others.
“Access into the city is convenient and getting out of the city is also convenient,” says Andrejcin. “People think where we’re located is really ideal overall for their lifestyle from walkability to getting in and out of the city — everything they want to do is easy here.”
The Maiers were also impressed
by how convenient Vivace is to everything from groceries, to grabbing dinner, to a scoop or two of their favourite frosty treat.
“That’s really great for us to be able to save money on transportation and just go out for a meal, it’s right there . ... The ice cream shop is in walking distance, too,” Elisabeth Maier says with a laugh.
“Athletes treat themselves every once in a while.”