September condo deals

Smart buyers took advantage of a slow month and reduced prices to sign on the dotted line, some of whom were handsomely rewarded:

A condo with a view in a renovated, well managed building: 1 bedroom with parking in Beechwood Village for just $208K

$270K for a nearly new 1-bedroom with stainless steel, hardwood floors and parking between the Market and U of O

2 bedrooms with parking in the East Market Lofts for $350K

Only $380K for a 2-bed/2-bath condo with parking
in a Charlesfort building!

$399K for a 1460sqft loft in Wellington Village, complete with parking and designer finishes... why buy new???

Charlesfort 'Merit' Condos to be unveiled tomorrow

All eyes are now on Charlesfort as they get set to launch their latest project, curiously being billed as The Merit.

A site plan application was filed with the City earlier this month for the development of a 20-storey condo on Lisgar St directly behind City Hall. Floorplans will be available online as of tomorrow, Friday January 28th at 5pm. Pricing is expected to be in the range of $450 to $575 per square feet, parking not included.

In yet another departure for Charlesfort condos, this project will be leasing ground level retail space, The Continental being the only other Charlesfort building to feature what is considered a negative in some buyers' books.

Being located just a block off Elgin St and minutes from both the Canal and The Market, the immediate assumption is that sales will be brisk from the get go. But Charlesfort condos are anything but cheap and Ottawa buyers have had their real estate budgets pushed to the limit over the past few years. Given that sales have been slower than expected at other so-called hot locations such as Tribeca and 131 Holland, it will be very interesting to see how sales at The Merit unfold.

Charlesfort to build in the Golden Triangle

An earlier post about new condos in the Golden Triangle is coming to pass, but it is Charlesfort (not SoHo) that will be developing the parking lot at 100 Lisgar St, located behind City Hall:


Plans filed with the City for Lisgar Apartments have Charlesfort asking for a height increase of 8 storeys over the currently zoned twelve. The architectural renderings show yet another magnum opus designed by Barry Hobin—notice the same Gotham City inspiration as Hudson Park Phase I and II, buildings which IMO have been an impressive addition to Ottawa's urban landscape:



For those interested in learning more, a public consultation is being hosted by Councillor Diane Holmes and Charlesfort at 5:30pm today in the Billings Room at City Hall.

Condo of the Week: Hudson Park I by Charlesfort

Phase I of Charlesfort's art deco masterpiece, Hudson Park, is now completed and it is very much a byword for opulence as evidenced by the entrance lobby pictured at left.

This project caused much ado for the residents of Domicile's Everett condos immediately next door (more on this later), but to give credit where credit is due, the end result is quite stunning: 17 floors housing a total of 123 condos, with 9' ceilings, a rooftop lounge and BBQ terrace, reading lounge with fireplace, and a fully appointed exercise room.

While there has been some noise about size and pared down quality—2cm granite countertops, apartment sized appliances, no iron globe in the garden!—the building itself is arguably the most glamorous high-rise in town with some rather Manhattan-esque views of the Ottawa cityscape:

I have already started to receive inquiries about units for resale, but buyers should note that owners are unable to sell until one year from closing, or until all the other units are sold. That said, some of the larger (1205sqft+), pricier ($550,000+) units still remain, and I would be happy to represent anyone looking to buy new in either Phase I:

http://www.charlesfort.ca/hudson-park/price-list.pdf

or Phase II, which is currently under construction with an anticipated completion date of fall 2009:

http://www.charlesfort.ca/hudson-park-ii/price-list.pdf

(Photo credit: Rakerman)