Spirited response for Adera homes at Wesbrook Place, University of B.C.


Sunday, February 28th, 2010

pacific spirit: Business brisk again as Westbrook Place condos are snapped up — with just a few left

Province

Developer Adera ensured the show homes for its Pacific Spirit project would have welcom-mat appeal. Pacific was the first phase of the project; Spirit is the second.

Glass over-counter cabinets in a display suite at the Pacific Spirit new home project.

Office area in one of the display suites at the Pacific Spirit new home project.

A display suite at the Pacific Spirit new-home project. The clean and elegant lines are attracting enthusiastic buyers at a quick rate.

The master bedroom in one of the display suites at the Pacific new home project epitomizes comfort.

The Facts

WHAT: Pacific Spirit

WHERE: Wesbrook Place, University of B.C.

DEVELOPER: Adera

SIZE: 62 apartments in a four-storey building; 1 bed +den; 2 bed +den, 669 sq. ft. -1,034 sq. ft.

PRICES: From the low $400s

OPEN: Sales centre: 120 -5928 Birney Avenue; hours noon -5 p.m., daily

It’s been slightly over three weeks since the 62 new apartments at the Pacific Spirit project went to market. To say sales have been brisk is most certainly an understatement.

Just a handful remain up for grabs, reports Linda Therrien, sales manager for the project, located at the University of B.C.’s Wesbrook Place.

Pacific Spirit, a product of developer Adera, is comprised of two condominium buildings: Pacific and Spirit. It is the homes in Spirit that began selling on Feb. 6, and the market’s response hasn’t been unlike the response to the earlier release of the Pacific homes.

In fact, the buyer enthusiasm has been echoed again and again by people wanting to get into the project, says Eric Andreasen, Adera’s V-p of sales and marketing.

“When we opened for previewing [for Spirit] on Jan. 2, people were literally banging on our doors, asking us to accept deposits, although we hadn’t released pricing to the public yet,” says Andreasen. “We initially expected to sell five to 10 homes a month, but all 91 homes in Pacific … sold within a month.”

Andreasen believes the provincial government’s harmonized sales tax, set to come into effect on July 1, played some role in the quick sales, along with the December occupancy date.

“So many people complain that in these economic times they don’t want to purchase something now and wait two or three years to move in,” says Andreasen.

The Spirit apartments will range from 669 square feet for a one-bedroom-and-den unit, to 1,034 square feet for two bedrooms and a den. The 15 top-level homes will have rooftop patios and outdoor fireplaces.

“Typically, apartments and condos at UBC sell in the millions and we are offering condos beginning from the low $400,000s to just over $800,000 for a penthouse with rooftop West Coast lanai,” says Andreasen.

The building features wood, stone and extensive glazing.

“Each condo features granite slab countertops, glass tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances and electric fireplaces,” Andreasen adds.

“Then buyers can choose to upgrade to a gourmet kitchen with panelled Monogram appliances and hardwood floors.”

Among the Spirit buyers was Lily Lee, whose son Billy — a general studies student at the university — was beginning to find that his commute from Surrey was becoming gruelling.

Li and her husband drove to the University Endowment Lands, and were charmed when they came upon Wesbrook Place, UBC’s new, upscale urban town centre.

They were sold when they checked out Pacific Spirit.

“When we saw the community with its great shopping, community centre, Pacific Spirit Regional Park and high school, my husband and I thought why don’t we all move here,” says Li.

“We researched Adera and found out they are well-known, good builders with a great reputation.”

Li and her husband initially bought a unit in Pacific, and then decided to purchase a second home, this time in Spirit, where son Billy and a roommate will live.

“Here we are buying another brand new, modern home in the heart of a rural/urban setting,” Li says.

B.C. is considered one of the leaders of the green-building movement in Canada.

And UBC has taken that a step further by initiating its own environmentally friendly building system, based on the LEED program: the Residential Environmental Assessment Program, or REAP.

Both Pacific Spirit and Spirit are rated REAP Gold.

Green features include energy-efficient windows, insulation and plumbing, motion-activated lights in bathrooms, low-emission carpets and membership in the Co-operative Auto Network.

The remaining Spirit homes are priced to begin in the low $500,000s.

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