Victoria couple buy second home in city tower
Sun
The Coco developer is installing mostly KitchenAid appliances in the kitchens, all clad in stainless steel. Ranges will consist of gas cooktops and electric convection-ovens. The two-door fridges are counter depth. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Quartz will top all the counters. Porcelain tile will be underfoot and, in the six townhouses, will be heated. Engineered flooring is an optional upgrade. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Quartz will top all the bathroom vanities in the Coco residences. Basins, of china, will be under-mounted. Porcelain tile will be underfoot. En suites will have both shower and bath; second bathrooms, a shower. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
When looking in Vancouver for a second home, Coco on Spruce was an obvious choice for Victoria homeowners Sheila and David Aujla for three main reasons — the building’s beauty, the luxury finishes and the location.
“Its location can’t be beat,” says Sheila, noting Coco is only one block west of Oak Street on 14th Avenue, and just a few blocks away from South Granville.
“It’s easy to get downtown, but yet it’s very quiet. It will be great going for walks in the area.”
The Aujlas — Sheila works in sales and David is an immigration lawyer — found they were visiting Vancouver often enough for work that it made sense to own a second home here. They bought a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit on the 7th floor with views to the northwest.
“We’re very excited about moving in. We saw the presentation suite recently and it looks gorgeous.”
Sheila says another big selling point was the privacy the suites offer. Since there are only four per floor, each occupies a corner of the building, giving the 12-storey building a “boutique” feel.
Sales representative Al DeGenova says he was so impressed with the building he encouraged his 22-year-old daughter Emily, also a realtor, to buy a suite. The first-time homeowner moves in at the end of July.
DeGenova, a mayoral candidate with Vision Vancouver, says the fact that prospective buyers can view the actual project, and not simply a presentation centre, is unusual. The developer stopped pre-sales when 35 per cent of the suites were sold, opting to wait until near completion to put the rest of the suites on the market.
“We’re doing it in the old-school way — build it, then sell it,” says DeGenova.
“The value for quality is just phenomenal.”
He adds that the building’s layout is also unusual in a condominium project.
“Not many [condos have the four-to-a-floor layout] because the cost is so great to do it,” DeGenova says. “It seldom happens. We chose to go with it here because of the quality and we wanted to created a boutique feeling.”
He says Delta Lands has a very good reputation in the business and is responsible for about one-third of the new builds in Coal Harbour. It was recently in the news for its massive plans for the redevelopment of the Georgia Hotel, which will become part of the high-end condo project called The Private Residences on Georgia.
The builder, John Scott Construction, is also highly regarded in the industry, says DeGenova.
The project is located in an established neighbourhood, primarily of single residential homes and small apartment blocks. Views from the fourth floor and above are spectacular, says DeGenova.
Some of the features inside the suites include quartz countertops, a KitchenAid appliance package, hardwood floors throughout (except in the bedrooms) and contemporary fireplaces.
The two penthouse suites have 1,300 square feet of living space and nearly the same amount of deck space — 1,000 square feet.
COCO ON SPRUCE
Location: Fairview, Vancouver
Project size: 42 apartments and townhouses, 12-storey tower
Residence size: 827 sq. ft. — 1,300 sq. ft.
Prices: From $530,000
Presentation centre address: 1088 West 14th
Telephone: 604-889-3173
Hours: Noon – 5 p.m., Sat – Thu
Web: deltalanddev.com
Developer: Delta Lands
Architect: Nigel Baldwin Architects
Interior design: Portico
Occupancy: Summer, 2008
© The Vancouver Sun 2008
