Calgary’s first car-free condo opens with great success!
By Lucas on Sep 17, 2015
Metropia President Howard Sokolowski (second-from left), Knightsbridge President Joe Starkman (third-from right) and PMA Brethour’s President Andrew Brethour (second-from right) with the Metropia and Knightsbridge team. Photo: Brian Buchsdruecker - Bookstrucker Photography
Usually, we focus on new housing developments in and around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but this story was too good to pass up. Metropia (Toronto) and Knightsbridge Homes (Calgary) have teamed up to develop Calgary’s first car-free condo in the booming East Village area. N3 Condo will rise 15 storeys and fully support cyclists and the highly walkable neighbourhood. “Calgarians have enthusiastically responded to the affordable breakthrough of N3, looking at our project as a long term and secure investment. We’ve sold 90% of the 167 units in less than one week and expect a final sell out soon, all happening despite the challenging oil patch economy. And when they’re gone, they’re gone,” says Metropia President Howard Sokolowski.
Photo: Brian Buchsdruecker - Bookstrucker Photography“Aptly named N3 to reflect the project vision, ‘New Attitude, New Living, New Vision’, our development pioneered new ground in Calgary’s multi-family development space with parking for bicycles,” adds Sokolowski. “Our vision includes social open spaces for entertaining and hosting, Wi-Fi connectivity throughout and fully-furnished units. Additionally, to support the marketing platform of - No car, No parking, No problem - each buyer receives a $500 credit to Car2Go and an urban bicycle.”The 90% of units that sold all went in the first five days of opening! The units averaged $260,000 and attracted buyers aged between 20 and 35 years old. We don’t really hear about 20 year olds buying a new condo in Toronto very often. Other than the interesting car-free concept and affordable starting price, another highlight of the opening was the 7’ tall scale model made completely out of LEGO, which took over 600 man hours to complete!
Photo: Brian Buchsdruecker - Bookstrucker Photography“We are extremely excited about N3,” says Michael Brown, President & CEO, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). “The East Village master-plan vision places enormous emphasis on the pedestrian experience. You can see this focus demonstrated across the neighbourhood with pedestrian-only streets, pedestrian bridges, wide sidewalks and public parks designed for resting and visiting. East Village is a neighbourhood for all ages, designed to bring residents together at the street level day and night.”We’re not authorities on Calgary’s neighbourhood landscape, but Calgary’s East Village revitalization sounds a lot like the transformation that Toronto’s east end is currently experiencing, with a number of master-plans in the works that prioritize the use of transit, walkways, and local shopping and services. When Calgary’s East Village master-plan is complete by 2027, there will be approximately 11,000 residents! N3 Condo will be just 270 steps from the City Hall LRT Station, perfect for those who work downtown and students attending Bow Valley College or the University of Calgary. According to Metropia and Knightsbridge, Gen Y buyers just don’t value car-ownership the same way that previous generations did, and the instant success of N3 Condo is proof that they’re correct!
Photo: Brian Buchsdruecker - Bookstrucker Photography“Developing and marketing products for Generation Y is a burgeoning business,” says Susan Veres, VP Marketing & Communications, CMLC. “This young demographic is redefining the way residential developers design and market homes. They expect style and function, aren’t interested in big mortgages and don’t see value in vehicle ownership and ongoing maintenance, particularly when other options are available to them. This type of project fits perfectly with the aspirations of East Village and will fulfil demand in the marketplace for residential offerings available across multiple income levels and demographic segments.”Does the name Sokolowski sound familiar? It should, since he was the cofounder and CEO of Tribute Communities for over 25 years. During his time at Tribute, Sokolowski led the development of over 30,000 new homes, and he is highly regarded for his hands-on approach when working with families and young homebuyers. Sokolowski teamed up with Tony Moro to form Metropia. This name should sound familiar, too. Moro is the former president of Deltera/Tridel Builders and brings 35 years of development experience to the table. During his time at Tridel, Moro led the development of over 40,000 condo units. With decades of experience and over 70,000 new homes between the principals of Metropia, plus Knightsbridge’s experience and expertise appealing to Gen Y buyers in Calgary’s housing market, N3 Condo definitely isn’t the last car-free development to pop up in Calgary.
