Parc households will benefit from ‘highrise amenities’
Mary Frances Hill
Sun
At the Parc in Coquitlam, suites benefit from natural light via wraparound windows and spacious balconies - PNG
The bathroom features framed mirrors and above-counter "vessel" sinks. As well, all owners have access to a gym, yoga studio, media room and an owner's lounge.
Suites at Residences at the Parc feature a walk-in bedroom closet, a soaker tub and wood-pannelled fireplace -- all standard.
Residences at the Parc are within three blocks of the library, Evergreen Cultural Centre and Coquitlam city hall. Not far away are Minnekhada Regional Park and Sasamat Lake.
Residences at the Parc Project location: Glen Drive, Coquitlam
Project size: 25 condos units (15 remaining) and five town houses in a four-storey building (condos: one-bed, two-bed and den; town houses, two-bed)
Residence size: 517 to 1,058 sq. ft.
Prices: $209,900 to $394,900
Developer: Executive Group
Architect: Patrick Cotter
Interior Design: Diane Potter, Inside Design
Sales centre: Parc Tower at 2959 Glen Dr.; showroom in suite 202Hours: Noon to 5 p.m., Sat. to Thurs.
Telephone: 604-468-7272
Web: www.parcliving.com
Occupancy: Mid 2011
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As project coordinator for an interior design company, Saleema Remtula values the small details that make up the comforts of home.
It was these touches — including kitchen and bathroom finishes — that were on top of the “must-have” list that Remtula and husband Rashid had when they went home-hunting this year.This spring, the couple decided on a one-bedroom condo on the fourth floor of Coquitlam’s Residences at the Parc.
When it comes to the complex’s standard interior finishings, they couldn’t have done better for the price, she says. Yet Remtula says she’s most impressed by all the amenities and activities outside her future home.
“[Our place will be] just a hop and a skip to everything,” she said in a telephone interview from Yaletown Interiors, where she works. “You don’t have to drive anywhere to get a jug of milk at any hour.”
She’s referring to the massive T&T supermarket, which is within two blocks of her future home. The supermarket also happens to be directly behind Coquitlam Town Centre, a large shopping mall that houses some of Canada’s biggest department stores, such as the Bay, Sears, London Drugs, Future Shop and Zellers. They anchor a number of restaurants, fashion outlets, and medical and dental clinics.
The centre is also surrounded by community amenities. Douglas College, Evergreen Cultural Centre, the Coquitlam Public Library and city hall are all within a three-block radius. Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club, Minnekhada Regional Park and Sasamat Lake are also within walking and biking distance.
Though she enjoys a good shopping session as much as anyone, Remtula tires of the crowds that are common in malls as popular as Coquitlam Town Centre. “[Living this close], I can take an ‘anytime’ jaunt to the mall. In the summertime, there’s shorter hours, so you want to go and beat the rush. I’ll have a chance to do that.”
Remtula says the couple wasn’t desperate for a new place. “We were just looking around to see what’s out there.” But it didn’t take long for them to grow frustrated with the high prices of Vancouver condos.
“The prices [at Residences at the Parc ] start at around $209,000, and I found that in that price range, there’s no way you’d ever find a new one-bedroom with the finishes and appliances [we found at Residence at the Parc].”
The Remtulas prefers to live in a low-rise building, a place Saleema feels is likely to foster a sense of community among neighbours. “I like the four storeys because it seems more quaint. You tend to see the same people over and over again.”
Residences at the Parc, due to open in 2011, will be comprised of 30 one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and two-bedroom-and-den condo units, and two-bedroom two-level town houses attached to the building.
Suites benefit from natural light via wraparound windows and spacious balconies. The town houses will feature 10-foot ceilings on the first floor and nine-foot ceilings on the second and third floors.
The Remtulas‘ home will have an open plan, a large kitchen relative to the space, Bosch appliances, and granite kitchen countertops. The bathroom will feature framed mirrors and above-counter “vessel” sinks, and the living space, dark, wide-plank hardwood floors. They’ll have a soaker tub, a walk-in bedroom closet and a wood-panelled fireplace, all standard.
The developers, the Executive Group of Companies, has built more than 250 homes over the past 20 years, venturing into the hotel market with Portofino Tower & Executive Hotel Vintage Park in Vancouver’s downtown, and the completion last year of the Ava Residences and Luxury Hotel in downtown Seattle.
Mahamed Karim, who’s in charge of project sales and marketing at Residences at the Parc, says there has been an overwhelming response, in large part due to the location.
Suite owners benefit from what Karim calls “highrise amenities.” All owners in the complex have access to the gym, a yoga studio, a media room and an owner’s lounge, all located in the adjacent Parc tower. They will also be encouraged to get involved in the strata-run car-share program.
Not that there’ll be much need to jump in the car to do weekend errands.” This is right in the core of what is going to be downtown in my opinion of Coquitlam,” he says.
While homebuyers such as Saleema and Rashid Remtula favour the more quaint, community feel of a low-rise, they’re getting the economic benefits that come from living near highrises, he says.
“One of our big benefits is we’re surrounded by highrises, and highrise pricing is much higher than what we have to offer.”
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