Buyer didn’t need to go far to be home again
Province
Cedar54 at Victoria Drive and 54th Avenue has a warm and inviting feel to it, as the project’s presentation centre demonstrates.
Cedar54 gives off that new-house feel in the most welcoming surroundings.
The bathrooms at Cedar54 have a spa feeling to them; the kitchens and bedrooms are modern and roomy
The Facts
WHAT: Cedar54, 30 residences, four-storey building
WHERE: 54th and Victoria Drive, Vancouver
DEVELOPER: Empire Developments
SIZE: 553 sq. ft. -1,114 sq. ft.
PRICES: $288,000 -$599,900
OPEN: Sales centre at 7087 Victoria Drive; hours: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday to Thursday
Pamela Narayan had more than a few reasons for buying a residence at the Cedar54 new-home project at 54th at Victoria.
To begin with, her new home is in a neighbourhood that’s long been familiar. Narayan grew up just a few blocks away, on Jasper Crescent. She attended Douglas elementary school, David Thompson secondary and Langara College.
Her parents still live close by, and she works at their nearby family-owned pharmacy. “I always wanted to stay in this area,” Narayan says. “However the housing prices are not within my means, so Cedar54 was a nice alternative. I get the new-house feel in the area that I want, while staying within my budget.”
As well, Narayan says, the homes in the four-storey building have a welcoming feel, and promise easy access to neighbourhood amenities. “It is not a bunch of tightly packed high-rises like you see so often these days,” she says. “It’s very diverse; close to produce markets, banks, community centres and Killarney Market and Champlain Mall.”
The exterior of Cedar54 is clad in brick and cedar. Ron Basra of Re/Max Central Realty, organizer of the Cedar54 sales and marketing campaign, says western red cedar is a favourite building material of Empire Developments, whose principal is Rummen Johal. The company’s parent, Terminal Forest Products, is a major manufacturer of cedar siding and trim.
Basra began selling the Cedar54 homes about two months ago, and the response has been robust -about 65 per cent have now been sold -and Basra attributes that to the project’s location, the quality of design and construction, and the homes’ affordability. “Real estate is about location, location and location, and our project has a very prime location,” Basra says.
His customers don’t fit into one type, he says, although a desire to be close to immediate family members in the neighbourhood is among the considerations. “We have young families with kids attending schools in the area, singles just entering the market and neighbourhood residents trading down from $1-million homes into an attractive condo as they retire,” he says.
Cedar54 is within reasonable driving distance of downtown, the airport, Metrotown and Richmond. There’s terrific ethnic shopping along Victoria Drive, and the Fraserview public golf course is nearby, as are the extensive shops and services of Champlain Heights.
Narayan was also attracted to Cedar54’s sleek, modern design. “It still has a warm and inviting feel. I love the wood-cedar aspect; they really utilized the space and offered a wide range of price points and options. The ground level will have a few retail spaces. It will be interesting to see what will be there.”
Narayan was also impressed with the layout.
“I have seen other condos where the foyer is large and spacious, but then the living room is tiny. You have to think where you will be spending most of your time. I couldn’t see any wasted or disproportionate space.
“Having a storage area in proximity can be an issue with condos. Therefore having the flex space is a nice solution. You can keep your vacuum, Costco purchases and other bulky items out of sight.
“The bathroom has a spa feel to it, which is definitely a plus. The one-bed-room demo unit had a walkthrough closet -with rods and space on both sides -which was situated in between the bedroom and the bathroom. It reminded me of Carrie’s closet in the show Sex and the City.”
Basra notes that all the suites will include decor and kitchen packages that are commonly offered as options in other developments. “There are wide-plank laminate wood floors throughout, and each home includes a washer and dryer, stainless steel kitchen appliances, floor-to-ceiling pantry and storage space, and an indoor gas fireplace.”
Ten of the 30 homes will have outdoor fireplaces.
Many of the homes will have ample outdoor spaces attached.
Penthouse 1, for example, has just over 1,000 square feet of interior living space and a 1,250 square feet of exterior space.
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