StreetSide Developments Calgary Announces Konekt, a New Condominium Complex
Calgary, AB – Constructing a new condominium complex can come with a number of challenges, and for StreetSide Developments Calgary’s new project, it seemed as if launch day would never come.
In 2005, StreetSide Developments purchased a property in the inner-city area of Inglewood. Fifteen years later, the team is finally getting ready to celebrate the launch of this much-anticipated project.
Over the past 15 years, the project site went through multiple design iterations and submissions to the City of Calgary. Unfortunately, all prior development attempts were met with complicated circumstances and roadblocks that prevented StreetSide Developments from proceeding through the approval process. At the end of April, they finally received the long awaited development permit approval. The 104-unit condominium project will launch this August.
“This project has faced more challenges than few I have worked on in the past,” said Don O’Dwyer, Development Manager, StreetSide Developments Calgary. “The site sits within the City of Calgary’s airport vicinity protection area, which means that special studies and sound insulation measures are required under the National Building Code. It also sits within the Bow River flood fringe, and this means the design is subject to both Provincial and Municipal flood regulations.”
The project was also subject to the Freight Rails Corridor Policy, which was still in development during the planning stages. The business unit also had to navigate political agendas, community association members, and some covert City committees. In total, StreetSide Developments spent roughly two years, involving hundreds of people, in the planning stages of this project.
StreetSide Developments was able to overcome most of the challenges through hard work and dedication.
“We have gotten to where we are now by emphasizing that the end goal of our project was to create a positive development solution that would improve the quality of the neighborhood,” said Don.
The determination clearly paid off, and the future residents will have a home situated in an area unlike any other in the city.
“The project site is located along Inglewood’s Green Pathway System, which links Pearce Estate Park in the east to the River Walk and Fort Calgary in the west,” Don added. “The site is steps away from the Bow River, The Bow Habitat Station and Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery, the Inglewood Aquatic Centre, and the community’s bustling 9th Avenue District. The project site is located directly in the heart of Calgary’s oldest community.”
Inglewood is home to two other StreetSide Developments buildings, a 100-unit townhome project named Inglewood Grove and 148-unit condominium project named Pearce Gardens, which is directly adjacent to the business unit’s new property.
“We have a long development history with Inglewood and an appreciation for the community,” said Richard Daley, Vice-President, StreetSide Developments Calgary. “When selecting a name for this project, we drew on the impressive connections available at this location. The name ‘Konekt’ was inspired by Inglewood’s ideal location and the ability for the community and our project to connect with its surroundings, its people, its history, and its really cool and sought after vibe.”
Unfortunately, the original plans of launching Konekt at Inglewood’s Sun Fest had to be cancelled, but a new two-part digital experience will take its place.
“Even before the current pandemic, there was a shift with how potential customers were looking to engage with builders, and most interactions started online,” said Max Conrad, Marketing Manager, StreetSide Developments Calgary. “In 2018, we started working with a renderer who could, among other things, offer us full virtual tours of homes that did not exist in a physical space yet.”
StreetSide Developments tested these virtual tours out with its Belwood Park project.
To take a look at the full virtual tour of the Boulevard 16 home, click here. If you have a compatible VR headset you can even tour it in Virtual Reality.
“With Konekt, we are taking what we learned with Belwood Park and optimizing the content we’re creating to get more usable assets on a smaller budget,” said Max. “With six unique floorplans, we knew we would not be able to create six different virtual tours, so we opted to create one for what we believe will be the most popular home. For the remaining homes, we are creating 3D floorplans.”
In addition to creating these assets, the virtual launch will use a strong online marketing push, including Instagram, Facebook, Google Display and Google Search, combined with significant on-site signage.
Starting 45 days from the official launch date of August 8, 2020, the team at StreetSide Developments has a staged rollout plan. Over these 45 days, they will slowly release the interior renderings, floorplans, site plans and pricing, with the final step being to set up a private sales appointment, whether that be in person, via Zoom, WebEx, Google Hangouts or FaceTime.
“Whether homebuyers choose to have an in-person or an online meeting with our area manager, they will be able to use a wide variety of content we’ve produced (iPad Web App, Virtual Tours, AR Floorplans, Photos, Videos) to build the vision of the project and community as a whole,” Max added.
This project, 15 years in the making, is one the whole team is proud to see come to fruition.
“The good news is that even in these unprecedented times, there seems to be a keen interest in this project,” said Don, recalling a recent site visit where he was approached by a neighbor inquiring about purchasing one of the units. “Seeing excitement and anticipation reaffirmed that our hard work and effort is appreciated, and that others trust us to improve the neighborhood that they know and love.”
Published: May 2019
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