Coming to Kingsway
Kensington Gardens poised to rejuvenate the neighbourhood
Kensington Gardens
Project location: 2220 Kingsway, Vancouver ( Kingsway and Gladstone) Project size: The first release of 138 units ( west tower) of a three- tower- and- town-house-building master- planned community on a 2.5- acre site. Residence size: 1 bedroom ( 459 sq. ft); 1- bdrm + den ( 502 — 512 sq. ft); 2- bdrm + den ( 692 — 894 sq. ft); penthouses ( 748 — 1,065 sq. ft) Prices: 1- bdrm from $ 259,900; 2- bdrm from $ 399,900 Strata Fees: $ 0.38 a square foot Developer: Westbank Corp. Architect: Henriquez Partners Architects Interior design: In- house Sales centre: 2220 Kingsway Telephone: 604- 620- 7886 Hours: noon — 5 p. m., Sat — Thurs Next Release: February Website: kensingtongardens.ca Occupancy: Late 2016
If the recent turnout at the grand opening of the Kensington Gardens’ display centre is any indication, the revitalization of Kingsway is getting more than a little attention.
More than 5,000 people filed through the project’s cavernous display centre, the site of a former Canadian Tire store, which features giant photos of the new mixed- use complex — including those of the project’s swimming pool, hot tub and hedged gardens — along with a display suite.
While the magic shows, music, food and face painting may have drawn some, a good number lined up to see the two- bedroom show home, says Michael Braun, an executive with developer Westbank Corp. “I would have been happy with 1,000 people.”
It was the largest turnout at a Vancouver real estate event since the public showing of the Woodward’s residential redevelopment, another Westbank project, in 2006, Braun said.
Kensington Gardens, a complex comprising three towers, townhomes and commercial space, will represent rejuvenation of the stretch of Kingsway at Gladstone Avenue.
It’s a renewal process the city has already started, with the implementation of its Norquay Village Community Centre plan, which calls for a 1.5- square kilometre area on both sides of Kingsway to become home to 3,400 additional housing units over the next 30 years.
Architect Gregory Henriquez hopes Kensington Gardens will set the bar high by treating Kingsway with the same love and attention that neighbourhoods such as Coal Harbour have received.
He couldn’t have asked for a better partner to develop Kensington. Westbank has already proven itself a leader of change in the city’s evolving landscape. It has been in the forefront with projects at both ends of the scale, from the luxurious Shangri- La hotel and residential development along Georgia Street, the Shaw Tower on Cordova to the Woodward’s redevelopment and 60 West Cordova, an affordable housing project in the Downtown Eastside.
Among the draws for the large turnout at the Kensington Gardens’ launch was likely the pricing of the homes. One- bedroom units start at $ 259,900 and two- bedrooms at $ 399,900 with three- bedroom penthouses available in the $ 750,000 range. But what makes the homes even more attractive is what the dollar buys.
All kitchens are equipped with Miele wall ovens and gas cooktops, and German- made Nobilio cabinetry, said Braun. “We do bulk- buy purchasing and ordinarily, a consumer at this price point wouldn’t be able to buy these features individually.”
Also included are Blomberg built- in fridges and freezers with an integrated panel finish, Blomberg stainless steel dishwashers and Panasonic microwaves. Counters are made of durable Corian.
Wide- plank engineered oak flooring covers the main living spaces, with carpeting in the private quarters.
The bathrooms feature Nobilia vanity cabinetry, plus quartz countertops and backsplash, porcelain tile flooring, tempered glass frameless shower enclosures, Acritec bathtubs and Duravit one- piece toilets and undermount sinks.
Another premium feature is air conditioning, says Alexa Paukkunen, sales and marketing director for the development’s marketer, Magnum Projects. “It has been enormously popular and not something you normally get at this price level.”
Even the front door — a fixture often overlooked by developers, Braun says — gets special treatment, with solid dark wood and a side light that gives the entrance the appearance of a singlefamily home.
One of the most distinctive assets of the building, evident in the floor plans, is the ratio of balcony to interior living space, which Henriquez believes is the most generous of any project he has designed.
“Traditionally, condo projects downtown have had about four per cent of total space dedicated to balconies,” Henriquez said. “In Kensington Gardens, balconies account for 12 per cent of the total space. That ratio is even higher when you take into account the rooftop and terrace spaces.”
While some developers are abandoning swimming pools as costly amenities to maintain, Henriquez and Westbank made it and a hot tub Kensington’s centrepiece. The result is that the courtyard with lounge chairs, outdoor barbecue and fireplace pit, and green hedges give the complex the feel of a five- star resort. Even the pool bottom gets special attention with art work by Wang Xuyuan, a well- known Chinese artist and master of Chinese ceramic art design.
Rather than seeing the pool as a high- cost headache — in fact, the pool will be economically warmed by excess heat from Kensington’s supermarket tenant — Henriquez sees it as a “community builder.”
“People gather around and create community. It’s a happy thing. These are not only things that are good for exercise and doing laps but also things that create a real sense of community and an opportunity ( for residents) to get to know each other.”
In fact, the lack of affordable traditional single- family housing in Vancouver is forcing people to rethink the definition of community, says Henriquez, who lives with his family in a False Creek highrise.
“Everyone is always saying that highrise living is anonymous and that everyone in their single- family neighbourhoods are always holding hands and singing Kumbaya. The reality is I know more people in this highrise after living here for a few months than I did on my street where I lived in Kerrisdale for many, many years.”
He hopes that Kensington Gardens will transform the surrounding community in other ways. For instance, the streetscape will feature wider sidewalks and there are plans to install public art to be placed on a boulevard running through the middle of Kingsway. In addition to providing space for a supermarket, the commercial component includes an Asian restaurant and a café.
It all works for Sara Mok, who lined up with the other 5,000 on opening day to get a look and to buy her first home, an 800- square- foot two- bedroomand- den penthouse.
“I am really impressed by Westbank and their previous developments, Shangri- La and Pacific Rim and the amenities and quality they are known for,” she said. In addition to looking forward to the pool and other amenities, she also is savouring the idea of using her 470- square- foot balcony and terrace.
“It’s huge and Vancouver has such lovely weather in the summer.”