Wildflower townhomes blossom in Springbank Hill

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Time is one of the big advantages of buying a new home during the pre-sale stage. Time to plan, to organize finances and to fully appreciate the commitment.

Maricely Morillo and Jose Campo took 10 months to finalize their home purchase in Wildflower, a new townhome development from Homes by Avi in Springbank Hill. The couple, which immigrated to Calgary from Venezuela in 2016, first expressed interest in the development on 81st Street S.W. when sales launched in July 2020.

Now that they’ve chosen their home — the 1,434-square-foot Auburn floor plan — Morillo and Campo are excited to see construction begin in May.

“There are two reasons why we bought here. To be close to my sister, who lives two blocks away, and the location. We love this part of town,” says Morillo.

The couple have a nine-year-old son and rent a condo in the neighbourhood. They were ready for a larger space and to invest in their own home.

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“We thought, let’s try a townhome. It’s not as big as a house, but at least it would be bigger than a condo,” she says.

There are four plans for two- and three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom homes, from 1,275 square feet to 1,468 square feet, priced from the $420,000s.

The Auburn has three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a central kitchen, tandem garage and a driveway. As early purchasers, they had their pick of locations and chose an end unit facing the courtyard.

They both felt a high level of comfort in the buying process as the Homes by Avi area sales manager, Anita Bustos, was able to converse in their native Spanish.

“When we went there, she said, do you speak Spanish? And I said yes, do you speak Spanish? It turns out she is Chilean,” says Morillo.

Homes by Avi is one of several multi-family builders that are developing pockets of land in the Springbank Hill area south of 17th Avenue S.W. The four-acre parcel, where the 68-unit Wildflower development will be constructed, is on the east side of a ravine. It’s one of the most scenic locales in the city and one that many Calgarians aren’t aware of, says Bustos.

“The land is beside Spring Willow Estates. Most people don’t realize how beautiful this area is. It’s surrounded by estate homes with million-dollar views. It’s a hidden secret,” she says.

Two of the dozen or so buildings of townhomes will face the ravine, which will have paths connecting to the current system that meanders through Springbank Hill. There are two units available in the first building with the second scheduled to be released later in the spring.

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With the advantage of time, Bustos says Wildflower buyers can lock in low interest rates for a 24-month build time and be judicious in making their interior selections.

“Instead of having a palette board, our customers visit our 6,000-square-foot design centre and work with a designer. It’s the same experience that estate customers get. People can really think about what they want before making their final decision,” she says.

The temporary sales centre is at 17th Avenue and 81st Street S.W., across the street from the Aspen Landing Shopping Centre, just up the hill from the Wildflower location. The sales centre will move down to the site in May 2021 when Ronmor Developers Inc. will begin construction on a commercial centre with boutique shopping on the corner the sales centre currently occupies.

Demolition of the existing acreage buildings and lot servicing for Wildflower will begin in April. Show homes are scheduled for 2022.

THE DETAILS

DEVELOPMENT:  Wildflower Townhomes.

DEVELOPER:  Homes by Avi.

COMMUNITY:  Springbank Hill.

UNITS:  68 three-storey townhomes, two/three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms.

SIZE:  1,275 square feet to 1,468 square feet with tandem garages.

PRICE:  From the $420,000s.

INFORMATION:  The temporary sales centre is at 8181 17th Ave. S.W. or visit homesbyavi.com