Juniper West: A master-planned community in Kamloops
Michael Bernard
The Province
While COVID-19 has caused many real estate markets in British Columbia to drop like a yo-yo, there is one Interior city where home prices have held steady this year.
The city of Kamloops, a long-established centre for forestry, mining, healthcare and tourism, has experienced consistent growth over the last five years. That is a comforting fact for Doug MacKenzie, whose company’s sprawling 250-acre master-planned community, on the quiet outskirts of this city of 100,000 located four hours by car northeast of Vancouver.
Juniper West’s masterplan—adopted by the city in 2007—calls for a total of 675 multi-family units and single-family homes with panoramic views of the Thompson River Valley. So far, about 476 homes and homesites have been developed by Juniper West and its construction arm, Juniper Builders, said MacKenzie, Juniper West’s general manager.
“It’s a fairly steady real estate market. We are starting to see a lot of growth with families moving to our community from the Lower Mainland and a lot of local families and families from Alberta. There is still a lot of good value relative to other areas of the province.”
A quick comparison with Kelowna to the south confirms what MacKenzie says. B.C. Real Estate Association statistics for May show that the median detached house price in Kamloops is $562,500, well below the $672,000 detached home median price for Kelowna and its surrounding zone. The gap is even greater when compared to Metro Vancouver, where average detached home prices exceed $1 million. Median townhome prices show similar differences between Kamloops and Kelowna for May: $314,500 versus $495,500.
At Juniper West, first-time buyers can get into the real estate game with a 1,700 square feet three-level townhouse in Juniper’s 50-unit Ridge development for just under $400,000. A single-family home, ranging between 2,500 and 3,000 square feet and with complete landscaping, can be bought for $668,000 and up.
What draws people to Kamloops is the semi-arid climate, relatively mild winters and its healthy focus on both winter and summer sports. Within walking distance of Juniper West, for instance, is the Kamloops bike ranch, a popular site for recreational and competition biking. Sun Peaks, considered one of the province’s leading ski mountains, is just a 50-minute drive away. Kamloops itself has several stable employers, including Interior Health and the 250-bed Royal Inland Hospital together, have 1,400 employees, Highland Valley Copper (1,300), the school district (2,200) and Thompson Rivers University (1,100).
The Ridge, a 50-unit development, a collection of three-level townhomes, is configured in eightplexes. The modern design homes feature bright open floor plans with custom millwork throughout.
There are two kitchen cabinet styles to choose from with quartz countertops. An optional kitchen upgrade includes all stainless-steel appliances, including a hookup for a natural gas range. There is a 48-inch electric range fireplace in the living room, complemented with a two-stage high-efficiency gas furnace and air conditioning. Flooring includes high-end laminate flooring throughout the main living areas.
Outside, the homes are sheathed in Hardie board-and-batten siding with a brick masonry veneer and aluminum railings enclosing 300-square-feet of outdoor living space. Each home has a garage for a single vehicle, plus an outside parking space and a visitor space. There are also outdoor gas BBQ hookups.
Juniper Builders is currently offering Qu’Appelle Boulevard, a collection of 20 single-family homes available in four different designs, with and without basements. The homes also allow for legal suites that can serve as mortgage helpers. The homes range in size from 1,325 to 1,950 square feet not including basement space.
Mark and Taylor Paynter have just purchased in The Ridge. “We were renting in Aberdeen, a neighbourhood on the western tip of Kamloops,” said Mark. “We’ve been here for four years now, and we have quite a few friends who live up in the Juniper area. We know that it is a very family-friendly and active community, and it’s safe, warm and welcoming.”
Mark, a law enforcement officer, and Taylor, a teacher, are originally from Prince Edward Island and came out a few years ago for a fresh start. They were attracted to Juniper West because there are lots of young people within a few years of their age. Taylor said she had a contract at the local elementary school and loved it. “There are great kids and great families there, and it really contributed to our decision to buy there.”
Chris and Bre Crowell, who have a two-and-a-half-year-old boy and a one-month-old girl, moved into a five-bedroom, three-bathroom single-family home in Juniper West. “We owned a duplex in another neighbourhood,” said Chris, who is a civil engineer. “We wanted our own yard and not to be sharing a common area with our neighbour. We also decided we wanted something newer, and we didn’t want to deal with the headaches and the expense of an older place.”
The community was a big attraction for them, said Bre. “It has a good community feel. It has a convenience store, lots of parks and lots of young families.”
Juniper West, Kamloops
Project address: #103-2049 Highland Drive, Kamloops
Project Scale: A total of 675 multi-family and single-family homes and building lots in a 250-acre master-planned community with panoramic views overlooking the Thompson River Valley in Kamloops, located 250 kilometres northeast of Metro Vancouver. Located eight minutes to downtown Kamloops, the subdivision includes an elementary school and daycare, grocery store plus parks and green spaces.
Prices: From $225,000 for fully serviced single-family lots; from $398,800 for 1,700 sq. ft., three-bedroom townhomes, and $668,000 for single-family homes starting at 2500 sq ft. with options for fully legal rental suites.
Developer: Juniper West Development Ltd. /Juniper West Builders Ltd.
Architect: Various, including Richard Hunter, Architect and Bergman Home Designs.
Sales Centre: #103-2049 Highland Dr., Kamloops
Centre Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment on weekends.
Sales phone: 778-471-2981
Sales contact: Doug MacKenzie, General Manager
Website: JuniperWest.com
Completion date: Continuous completion
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