FAIRVIEW SLOPES: Units built with high quality materials, and location near south Granville can’t be beat
Jeani Read
Province
The suites at The Zone will feature some of the most serene views in the city — of Burrard Inlet as well as of English Bay, B.C. Place and Science World. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
The bedrooms are also finished in quality materials, including laminate flooring. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
The open-plan living/kitchen area boasts high-end finishings, including five stainless steel appliances. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
A flex space can function as a study, as shown. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
They keep saying the city is moving east, but they also keep finding neat little spots to develop that are as central as ever.
The Zone is one of these central new finds, a group of 88 cool condos right near some of the best west-side shopping and hang-out spots.
High above Granville Market and just off the edge of South Granville, The Zone is aptly named: you can move in any time you like and you never really have to leave the area for any wants and needs.
Things are going to get even better when Cambie and Broadway host the new residential and retail developments already underway, but buyers are liking the spot anyway.
“This is probably the most successful concrete highrise-condo launch in the Vancouver core,” says Zone sales manager Wilson Tsang of the project, which was almost half sold out a week before the public opening today. “People are upgrading from woodframe homes, and many are moving back here from Yaletown. They’ve had enough of the congestion. People are attracted by Granville Market, the False Creek sea wall, and all the Granville shops, restaurants and galleries.”
Among the big draws here are the views and the central location at Broadway and Oak, says Tsang. “I call it the ‘centre ice’ of the city,” he says. “We’re looking at the centre of downtown, to the left it’s English Bay and to the right Science World and B.C. Place,” he says. “The view is spectacular. Burrard Inlet is very serene. It’s unbelievable.”
The proximity totally rocks, with three bridges to choose from when it comes to entering the city, and if you need to go to UBC or even the airport, the B-Line bus leaves every two minutes during working hours, says Tsang.
But the biggest attraction is the affordability, he says. Platinum Project Marketers’ tag line is: ‘True west-side urban living at a price you can afford.’ This translates into prices that range from $267,900 to a sky-high $1.3 million for a 1,300- square-foot penthouse — but 75 per cent of the suites, says Tsang, are one-bedroom-and-studies under $369,900.
Buyers appreciate the floor plans, which make the most of the square footage, and the finishings, in which the developer has made all upgrades standard. This includes wood laminate flooring throughout the homes, including the bedrooms and studies, five stainless appliances in the kitchen plus a washer-dryer, and granite or marble countertops. “There are no features you pay extra for,” says Tsang.
Amenities include a 1,000-square- foot media lounge and a 500-square-foot gym “full of equipment”.
All this was not lost on realtor Jerome Deis, who bought a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom suite with a “romantic” view. The unit will likely be investment property and a sweet and central spot for his daughters, now six and eight years old, when they eventually leave home.
“I like the location,” says Deis. “Fairview is an excellent area to be in, with the overall development of Broadway. It’ll be walking distance to rapid transit, and it’s right at Broadway and south Granville. Everything is possible.”
Deis also likes the concrete construction, the fact that, at 13 storeys plus penthouses, it’s a comparatively “intimate” development.
“It’s very good value in today’s market, and will continue to be real value,” he says.
And who’s likely to be valued as dad of the year when his kids do take off? You got it.
QUICK FACTS
THE ZONE
What: The Zone is 88 condominiums in a 15-storey concrete tower on Fairview Slopes in Vancouver
Where:1080 West Broadway
Developer: Redekop Homes
Sizes: 469 sq. ft. to 1,300 sq. ft.
Prices: $267,900 to $1.3 million
Open: Open daily noon to 5 p.m. except Fridays, 604 875-1000 (thezoneliving.com.)
© The Vancouver Province 2006