Marty Hope
Calgary Herald
Saturday, April 15, 2006
A pair of highly-anticipated condominium projects by Apex Limited Partnership could break ground later this year, says a company official.
After being honoured as multi-family Builder of the Year at the recent SAM (Sales and Marketing) Award, Apex vice-president Paul Betts said heavy equipment could be rolling on the Union Square and The National Condominiums sites as early as this summer.
"Last year was busy for us with the completion of our West 69th project, and with these two projects scheduled to be coming on later this year, this year should be even busier," he said.
At the awards, Union Square won for best multi-family show home in the 800- to 1,199-square-foot category.
Apex was also a finalist in two other multi-family categories -- Customer Choice among large-volume multi-family builders, and for best detached sales centre for The National.
The awards were presented during the 19th annual SAM Awards gala hosted by the Calgary Region Home Builders Association.
"It was a compilation of all the points in these and other categories that gave us the Builder of the Year Award," says Betts. "It's always nice to get that recognition from our industry peer, but what was even more pleasing was our strong showing in the Customer Choice category."
The Customer Choice segment of the awards is based on voluntary surveys by homebuyers rating their builders' level of service.
The surveys are compiled by the Alberta New Home Warranty Program.
Just as gratifying as the awards was the news that Union Square and The National Condominiums were to proceed.
Last month, the company had called an "indefinite" postponement of the National Condominiums project in Inglewood after the discovery of a "significant aquifer" under the site.
It's located at 10th Avenue and 11th Street S.E. on the site of the National Hotel.
The original design called for eight townhouses and 5,200 square feet of street-level retail space in the hotel building, while the adjacent land was to be developed for a nine-storey apartment condo building and four more townhouses.
A third component of the development was the refurbishing of what is the last standing livery stable in Western Canada.
The dilapidated red barn was to be removed from the site, rebuilt using as much original material as possible, and returned to its original location to the west of the hotel.
"The National project is definitely going to happen and we think we could be in the ground this fall," says Betts, adding that engineers are currently studying two options to get past the water problem. "I think we'll have to raise the building, but we won't know for sure until we get the engineers' report back."
Union Square -- on First Street S.W. between 13th and 14th Avenues on the site of the popular Mescalero nightspot --could already be under way while Apex awaits the final report on the National.
"Everything is on schedule," says Betts. "We're in the final phases of getting our development permit approved by the end of June and get into the ground shortly after."
It was nearly a year ago that Apex opened its on-site sales and presentation centre for the twin-tower, mixed use project,
Union Square is to hold 340 apartment condos, townhouses that will look on to Haultain Park, as well as about 18,000 square feet of street-level retail space and a restaurant.
Brick from a six-storey, burned out tower will be reused in the development, and the three-floor Underwood Block, circa 1911, will be retained. Apex will also contribute about $250,000 to a $1-million facelift for Haultain Park.
The historic Haultain School, located in the park, will also get a major facelift. "Both Union Square and The National are significant projects for Apex," says Betts.
© The Calgary Herald 2006Statistics: Posted by newsposter — Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:29 am
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