Car Free Project Attracts Gen Y residents to Calgary’s East Village
TORONTO and CALGARY,  September 16, 2015 …. The Calgary real estate market is alive and well after a 5-day sales blitz by Toronto’s Metropia and Calgary’s Knightsbridge Homes who launched its 15-storey N3 Condo car-free project in the revitalized East Village.

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)

Said Metropia President Howard Sokolowski, “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 per cent 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.”
Sokolowski added, “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. 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.”
Averaging around $260,000, the price points and the unique development concept attracted buyers in the 20-35 year age bracket.

(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.”
N3’s location along the LRT line makes the site easily accessible to young, urban explorers working in the downtown core and students attending classes at Bow Valley College or the University of Calgary’s downtown campus. Only 270 steps separate the N3 site in East Village from the City Hall LRT Station.
“Our project recognizes that Gen Y real estate buyers do not value car-ownership in the same way as previous generations. Since the site is considered a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project, given its proximity to the LRT– the service is free within the downtown – and contains no parking spaces, a more attractive price point can be extended to the buyer, added Metropia’s Sokolowski.

(Photo: Brian Buchsdruecker – Bookstrucker Photography)

“We started registering interest in the project when we received our Development Permit,” said Knightsbridge President Joe Starkman. “We submitted the completed permit package to the City on June 6, with an understanding that it would be the first project of its kind in Calgary and would require 100 per cent relaxation of the land-use bylaw as it relates to residential parking allowances.“
 
“Developing and marketing products for Generation Y is a burgeoning business,” said 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.”
Metropia was created out of a shared purpose and vision to become one of Canada’s leading real estate development companies by focusing on urban renewal and design innovation. Our communities offer a wide range of housing options with an emphasis on affordability and a responsibility to the environment.
Metropia’s founder, Howard Sokolowski, has a rich history in residential development. As cofounder and CEO of Tribute Communities for over 25 years, Howard led the development of more than 30,000 homes. One of the things Howard takes great pride in is working closely with the families and administrations that have a deep, vested interest in the outcome of the communities being developed. Under Howard’s leadership, Tribute won numerous community and development awards from J.D. Power, the Ontario Home Builders Association and Toronto’s Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) including Project of the Year, Community of the Year and Builder of the Year.
Partnering with Howard is Tony Moro, former President and CEO of Deltera/Tridel Builders. Tony brings with him over 35 years’ experience as Canada’s leading builder of condominium communities, during which time he developed over 40,000 condominium units. Under Tony’s leadership, Deltera/Tridel Builders won numerous awards including J.D. Power and Hi-Rise Builder of the Year.
Metropia and Knightsbridge Homes are no strangers to designing and marketing residential condominiums for Gen Y buyers. University City – a mixed-use project of 705 condo units in Calgary’s northwest community of Brentwood – has four residential towers and only 24 units remain unsold. For their project in East Village, Knightsbridge will design a pedestrian mews system on either side of the St. Louis Hotel, which is slated for retail and commercial uses in the future, to allow easy connections to the neighbourhood’s many amenities.
Imagined as a mixed-use, amenity-rich master-planned neighbourhood in the downtown core, East Village will be home to more than 11,000 residents upon completion in 2027. With local amenities like RiverWalk, St. Patrick’s Island Park, New Central Library, National Music Centre and an urban shopping centre, East Village has become a highly desirable neighbourhood in Calgary’s downtown core.
-30-
Contact:
David Eisenstadt and Hailey Chan
tcgpr
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com / hchan@tcgpr.com
(C)(416) 561-5751
(O) (416) 696-9900 ext. 36 / 0