BOUTIQUE CONDOS ARE ‘IN’
Uniform’s ECHO a sound development
Uniform’s boutique approach to homebuilding and exceptional attention to detail — from site selection, design and construction — ensures we live up to our commitment to deliver superior and lasting value to each and every new-home buyer. We are routinely transforming and responding to change, but always honour our brand lineage of uniquely designed homes built with integrity. In our 25-year history, Uniform has grown into one of Ottawa’s most respected tract home builders. As design and architecture trends evolve, so does Uniform. Our portfolio of homes is ever growing and we continue to develop new product and designs that serve to enhance our streetscapes as well as Ottawa’s landscape.
The acquisition of new land holdings will be one of Uniform’s main priorities in 2018. As urban land becomes more difficult to acquire and land values increase, Uniform is working diligently to find new opportunities that not only provide us sustainable housing volume, but also fit our company’s core brand that we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Meticulous site selection and quality home building has allowed us to develop exceptional communities and garner the reputation we hold today. Whether it be a suburban master-planned community or an urban infill, Uniform is constantly searching for our next Richardson Ridge neighbourhood or our next MacKay House condominium. Intelligent land acquisition is a necessity for sustained success in this industry. Timing, price and supply are paramount. We expect 2018 to be another tremendous year for new home sales, but equally as important will be the acquisition of new land for future growth.
Suburban land is now becoming scarcer and the city of Ottawa continues to promote intensification within the urban core. Accordingly, 2018 will mark Uniform’s return to luxury, boutique condo development. Located at 115 Echo Dr., ECHO is a six-storey building consisting of 40 residences fronting the stunning Rideau Canal waterway. Downtown, canal living combined with Uniform’s ability to deliver stunning and timeless architecture will make this condo a highly sought-after place to live. Our perception is that, notwithstanding a dip in volume for condominiums in the last couple of years, there is a sustained condo market in Ottawa. More particularly, Ottawa will always respond to a superior condo offering in a great location. Additionally, Uniform expects a bit of a resurgence in the condo market for 2018 and the next couple of years. We think ECHO is a premier condo site, directly facing the canal and just minutes from downtown and the Glebe. For these reasons, we are very optimistic for our boutique ECHO condo and expect a strong response.
With 2018 here, we anticipate another prosperous year for our company. Last year, we sold over 175 homes, balanced evenly among our three communities. We expect to achieve a similar volume this upcoming year.
Richardson Ridge in Kanata will continue to offer a wide variety of product consisting of single-family homes, townhomes, brownstones and flats. As the community grows and as we enter our fourth phase, it only becomes more desirable to homebuyers.
The Orchard, in Barrhaven, will continue its great success in 2018 with the opening of our enclave community of 52 bungalow towns and bungalow semis directly across the street, adjacent to the Stonebridge Golf Course. We expect this infill development to appeal to a large demographic of people who want to downsize from their larger Stonebridge homes to something smaller, yet stay in the community. We plan to release this in the late summer.
Lastly, we expect to sell out of our last single/semi units at Wateridge Village, a Canada Lands Company development at the former CFB Rockcliffe air force base. WV has proved to be an incredible success for Uniform, having sold 75 per cent of units in one year. We look forward to seeing this community grow and hope to build more at this site in the future.