Touring the model suite at Trinity Ravine Towers
By Lucas on Jan 15, 2016
Late last year, we heard about Trinity Ravine Towers, a new Christian tower community launching in Scarborough, developed by Global Kingdom Ministries. This caught our attention because we had never heard of a tower residence being developed by a church.
Recently, we had the opportunity to tour the Trinity Ravine Towers presentation centre. We met with Melanie Burton, Director of Sales, Trinity Ravine Towers, and Kern Kalideen, Executive Pastor - Global Kingdom Ministries, CEO - Trinity Ravine Towers to learn more about the project.
Instead of condo ownership, Trinity Ravine Towers operates on a life lease basis. This allows the church to develop the residence and maintain their status as a charitable organization. See the differences between condo ownership and a life lease here.
Really the only thing that makes Trinity Ravine Towers a “Christian” community is the fact that it’s being developed by the church and is neighbouring the church. Of course, you don’t need to be a Christian to live here. Burton said there will probably be some services geared towards Christians, like a chaplaincy, but they obviously wouldn’t be mandatory.
Trinity Ravine Towers is a 55+ residence that is being designed to allow the residents to “age-in-place.” This means that all of the purchasers are empty nesters and retirees.
Photo: Arthur Mola
“It’s a beautiful system for people who are thinking ahead,” said Burton. “When you look at most retirement communities, the average age is like 80 and up. But this one, it’s modern, it’s amenities are plentiful, so far the people who have bought are about 65. We’re looking to see mostly Boomers. This is the kind of model that will evolve as their needs change.”
Photo: Arthur Mola
Burton continued, explaining that there will be a number of services offered, including meal plans, health and fitness programs, laundry service, housekeeping, onsite doctors and chiropractors, 24-hour emergency staff, and nurses. All of the services are optional, so you only pay for what you need.
“The benefit of having a sponsor like GKM (Global Kingdom Ministries) owning and operating the building is that they’re maintaining a standard, which protects your investment,” Burton added. “Unlike another condominium perhaps where once they’ve sold off the building, the developer walks away, these guys are staying invested, they want to see it run pristinely.”
Photo: Arthur Mola
Thanks to the church’s history of working within the community in Scarborough, Global Kingdom Ministries has a good relationship with the City. Kalideen said that the process has been going very smoothly and in addition to the two towers, there may be a third phase at a later date, which would be a building for assisted living.
“The City has made this area a top priority for redevelopment,” Kalideen said as he motioned out the window of the presentation centre to the neighbouring acres of land. “There is now actually money allocated to beautifying this creek area. There are not many properties in Scarborough where you get a creek that is developed.”
Photo: Arthur Mola
Kalideen then led us into the model suite where he explained that all the units at Trinity Ravine Towers are priced at $450 per square foot, and that includes development charges, plus the life lease ownership exempts purchasers from paying Land Transfer Tax. The units range from one-bedroom to two+den. The larger units are ideal if you rely on your adult child or children for support.
“Average unit size is 863 square feet, so they’re bigger than normal condos, but people in this age bracket, they can’t migrate down to 300 square feet,” Kalideen explained. “They lived their whole life in a 3,000 square foot house and now they’re mortgage-free, they don’t want to be cramped in a place where they’ll live for the rest of their life.”
The units are designed with three-foot door frames, walk-in showers with a bench, and large kitchens and living spaces with “360 areas,” all of which accommodate those with disabilities requiring a walker or wheelchair.
Photo: Arthur Mola
Visit Trinity Ravine Towers in Scarborough
If you are looking for the perfect place to downsize, then you should definitely check out what Trinity Ravine Towers has to offer! Construction is expected to start at the end of this summer with a fall 2018 occupancy in mind.
The Trinity Ravine Towers presentation centre is located at 1250 Markham Road, and is open Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sunday from 1:30 pm to 5 pm. You can also call 647-876-5433 for more information.
