Vancouver Sun

CENTRAL CITY LIVING

Chard Developmen­t’s Ellsworth to take its place in a prime Mount Pleasant location

- SIMON BRIAULT

Ellsworth

Project location: 209 E. Seventh

Ave.

Project size: 89 units of between 419 to 1,719 square feet, priced from $339,900

Developer: Chard Developmen­t

Ltd. Architect: MCMP Architects Interior designer: BBA Design Consultant­s Ltd.

Sales centre: 2106 Main St., Vancouver; opening mid-April

Hours: TBA Telephone: 604-559-6910 Website: ellsworthv­ancouver.com Occupancy: Spring 2018

These days, if you’re buying a new apartment in Vancouver and you want a decent view of the city and the mountains, you’d expect to be in a towering highrise. But if you look carefully, you might find some exceptions. Ellsworth is one.

A low-rise boutique developmen­t of 89 units planned for Main Street and East Seventh Avenue, one of Ellsworth’s key selling points is the unobstruct­ed views from its plush roof terrace. The Mount Pleasant location and the natural elevation of the site means that even with only 10 storeys, Ellsworth will provide some of the best views in the city.

“There’s a view corridor that goes down Main Street and the city wants to maintain that, so the views from our building will remain unobstruct­ed,” said Dave Chard, president and CEO of Chard Developmen­t Ltd., the company behind the project. “It’s pretty spectacula­r.”

Chard founded his Vancouverb­ased company more than 20 years ago. It began as a developmen­t management firm and worked with commercial clients like Hudson’s Bay and Mountain Equipment Co-op. More recently, the company built a strong reputation in Victoria, where it is constructi­ng its seventh residentia­l project.

“We’ve had a rooftop terrace, open-air kitchen and high-end barbecue area with pretty much all of our Victoria projects,” Chard said. “We’re known for it over there and it’s become one of our signature pieces.”

The other signature pieces are outlined in the project’s marketing materials and a document the developer calls Chard Smart.

“Chard Smart is about providing features that the average homeowner wouldn’t necessaril­y expect, but would like to have,” said Byron Chard, Dave Chard’s son and the family firm’s director of finance and acquisitio­ns. “These are things like dimmer switches throughout the homes, USB ports, visitor parking, bike lockers and an enhanced customer-care program that really differenti­ates us from other developers.

“We also have custom artwork made for our buildings. For Ellsworth, we’ll be putting an original Martha Sturdy piece in the lobby.”

Dave Chard said while his company may not be well known in the residentia­l market in Vancouver, it has built a strong reputation for quality on the Island.

“We’ve used MCMP, the architects for Ellsworth, on eight projects and I’ve been working with our constructi­on engineers Reid Jones Christoffe­rsen for many years,” he said. “So we’ve built up great relationsh­ips with a triple-A team of consultant­s and tradespeop­le, and that means we’re able to consistent­ly deliver the highest quality.”

Ellsworth will include 7,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and, in addition to the 3,500-square-foot rooftop terrace, there will be garden plots, a children’s play area, a lounge with a kitchen and media room, a separate terrace on the second floor and a dog wash and grooming room.

Apartment types range from studios to three-bedroom condos and there are also five townhouses on the ground floor — two studio townhouses, two with two bedrooms and one with three bedrooms.

“This is a gold LEED building — it’s exceptiona­lly efficient,” Dave Chard said. “We’ll have meters in all the suites, so that you’re only paying for the water that you actually use. In addition, we’ll have a four-pipe heating and cooling system in the building, which means each individual homeowner can decide whether they want heating or cooling in their suite.”

Ellsworth’s other green credential­s include double-glazed thermal insulated windows, programmab­le thermostat­s and lighting controlled by occupancy sensors in many of the common areas.

Kitchens feature high-gloss lacquered white flat-panel European cabinetry, dark-hued solid quartz kitchen countertop­s and one-piece backsplash­es for easy maintenanc­e and a clean, modern feel. There’s recessed under- cabinet lighting and the integrated appliance packages feature brands like Fisher & Paykel, Blomberg and Panasonic. Pantry-style storage and built-in recycling systems are standard.

“When you come to our show suite, pretty much everything you see is included, whereas with other developers you often have to pay extra,” Byron Chard said. “The only exception is the optional wall safe.”

All the bathrooms have heated floors, there are adjustable height wands and rain shower heads in the ensuites and separate showers, and the countertop­s are polished marble.

Dave Chard said he is confident that when the sales centre at 2106 Main St. opens in midApril there will be lots of interest from buyers.

“The convenient location in Mount Pleasant and the views you get of the city and the mountains from the roof terrace will be among the biggest selling points,” he said. “But this is also a boutique developmen­t where you get the highest quality in terms of the fixtures and finishes and the amenities in the building.”

The building is scheduled for completion in early 2018. Prices start at $339,900.

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 ?? PHOTOS: RENNIE MARKETING SYSTEMS ?? The sales centre for Chard Developmen­t’s Ellsworth project, set for completion in 2018, will open mid month.
PHOTOS: RENNIE MARKETING SYSTEMS The sales centre for Chard Developmen­t’s Ellsworth project, set for completion in 2018, will open mid month.
 ??  ?? Chard Developmen­t president Dave Chard says the 89-unit Ellsworth building will be ‘exceptiona­lly efficient.’ Ellsworth will have double-glazed thermal insulated windows, programmab­le thermostat­s and lighting controlled by occupancy sensors in many of the common areas, Chard says.
Chard Developmen­t president Dave Chard says the 89-unit Ellsworth building will be ‘exceptiona­lly efficient.’ Ellsworth will have double-glazed thermal insulated windows, programmab­le thermostat­s and lighting controlled by occupancy sensors in many of the common areas, Chard says.
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