Of note on the NORTH SHORE
Residents of Cates Landing will be at home with the water
The fact that waterfront access is a rare commodity on the North Shore isn’t lost on most North Shore residents. They flock to the limited water access from Deep Cove to Dundarave all year.
Waterfront property is even more rare east of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, where access is dominated by industry, First Nations land, public parkland and multimillion-dollar private homes.
So it’s no wonder that when Polygon purchased the old McKenzie Barge and Marine Ways waterfront property, tucked between Cates Park and the Tsleil Waututh First Nation land on Burrard Inlet, locals were ready to jump on the opportunity to buy there.
“They have been waiting for this,” Goldie Alam, Polygon’s senior vice-president of marketing, said during a recent visit to the Cates Landing showroom, a facility that displays a project model, bathroom and kitchen, and with views that wow visitors.
Most of the 15 spacious townhomes — they boast almost 3,000 square feet of space on two and three levels — have been snapped up at prices ranging from $1.78 million to $2.18 million. More than half of the 80 water-view apartment suites in the three buildings to be built on the hill behind the townhomes are already spoken for, Alam said, adding interest was so high, Polygon decided a grand opening was unnecessary.
The vast majority of purchasers are downsizing from single-family homes on the North Shore and are looking for an easier, maintenance-free lifestyle.
“We have had a couple of families with kids, but most are professional or retired couples or single people on their own,” Alam said.
Local realtor Roberta Hudson said she and her husband, who have lived in the nearby singlefamily neighbourhood for 27 years, were ecstatic when Polygon announced Cates Landing because it represents “affordable waterfront.”
“We have been talking about retiring and we didn’t know if we would be moving to Sunshine Coast or Vancouver Island,” she said. “Then we went into the showroom and once we saw that we would be able to stay in the community and buy affordable waterfront, we just grabbed it. It seemed like a no-brainer to be honest.”
Hudson, who purchased a 1,100-square-foot home with two bedrooms and a den, said that not only will they be able to stay in close range of friends, they will also continue their hobbies of walking, hiking and snowshoeing on nearby Mount Seymour.
Polygon has undertaken work to protect the foreshore as an environmentally sensitive area. A public walkway along the front of the property will connect residents with the trail system, beaches and boat launch in the nearby 22-hectare Cates Park.
The townhomes offer both patios and balcony deck space, as well as a good-sized recreation room in an open-plan design that maximizes the views, Alam said. The homes also come with twocar garages on the hill side of the units and, of course, storage for kayaks and paddle boards.
The homes’ kitchens have custom cabinetry done in a flat Shaker style and islands with breakfast bars in most homes. Stainless steel appliances come with a five-burner gas cooktop, and the KitchenAid dishwasher and Liebherr fridge are an integrated style. There is also a pullout pantry built in. Countertops are engineered composite stone construction with marble backsplashes, undermount sinks and under-cabinet lighting.
Bathrooms feature a spa-style shower with bench, and his-andhers vanities.
Living areas have nine-foot ceilings and laminate wood flooring and radiant in- floor heating. Balconies offer generous space for entertaining and come equipped with gas outlets for barbecues.
The apartments also have common amenities such as a fitness studio, a lounge, meeting room, workshop and guest room available to condo residents.
There is also a dog-grooming room and a limited number of oversized lockers, bicycle storage rooms and a kayak storage area.