After an anemic start and a relaunch with new floorplans and new pricing, Domicile's One Three One project in Wellington Village is finally more than 50% sold.
Groundbreaking took place last week, and the irony isn't lost on some of us in the neighbourhood that the home of a local florist and the former site of The Healthiest Home (purveyors of sustainable building supplies) have been razed to make way for eco-friendly condos.But my real concern with this project is Domicile's intention to include a no-smoking provision in the condo declaration that extends to the individual units. According to Domicile, sitting on the condo boards of their other projects has brought to their attention secondhand smoking complaints, and they feel that non-smoking buyers will appreciate this initiative.While I myself applaud Domicile for addressing the concerns of secondhand smoke, even as a non-smoker I nonetheless find the scope of such a by-law just too intrusive for my own comfort, and wonder why this issue isn't being addressed through the building's mechanical and physical infrastructure. Will spicy cooking be targeted next?My legal counsel agrees, but warns that after 30 plus years of practicing real estate law he is seeing this issue crop up more frequently and contends that the current mood of the courts would be to uphold such a declaration as being "reasonable".Keeping in mind that such a regulation will not only apply to those buying into the project new, but those looking to buy a unit on the resale market, two words apply here: buyer beware.
Is it just me that gets a decidedly Ikea-esque vibe from Domicile's latest project?
Welcome hōm, or at least the Domicile version according to plans filed with the city for a 12-storey building fronted by 6 townhouses:
After a slooow start out of the gate with One Three One, it seems that Domicile is taking no chances on their third instalment in Little Italy slash Dow's Lake: the project's tagline is "Nice Place, Nice Price" and a slew of activities has been scheduled for what's being billed as hom's "Launch Week".
First off is a sneak preview and group hug with realtors next week, followed the week thereafter by a first time homebuying seminar, a feelgood session about hom's LEED certification, a meet-and-greet with Domicile's executive team and then the actual launch itself, broken up over 2 days, and set to feature not one but two models. Saturday, March 5 is slated for the initial sales of "hōmSuites" on levels 2 through 10, with a separate launch on Sunday, March 6 for the "Penthōms" on levels 11 and 12. No word on the how and where to reserve a townhouse although I'd be surprised if this "nice price" rings in at less than $600K.
Those interested in taking part of the launch can register by visiting their website at http://domicile.ca/hom
Some of the Google searches that have brought visitors to this blog over this cold January:"Where is Claridge Plaza 4?"
The last phase of Claridge Plaza will be built across the street from Claridge Plaza 2 on the east side of Cumberland Street and on the north side of Besserer St across from Richcraft's Galleria project. Plaza 3 and 4 will be connected by a ground level podium with a recreation centre, fitness club and lounge."Beechwood Ottawa Condos"According to my contact at Domicile, the sewer and water mains along the east end of Beechwood are currently too narrow to accommodate residential intensification, so plans to redevelop Kavanagh Esso into 6-storey mixed use condos are on hold until infrastructure renewal (ie. installation of bigger pipes) is completed by the City. No word as to a timeline, so stay tuned for more information."Windowless Bedroom Condo"Caution here: to be marketed as a bedroom in the City of Ottawa, a room must have 2 exits, usually a door and a window. Where there is only a door, the room is normally called a den or office; rooms with a door and a half wall (cue Domicile) can be called bedrooms assuming that you keep a ladder handy to climb over the wall in case of fire.Always double check these facts, particularly when dealing with a private seller. I have known buyers who thought they were purchasing a 2-bedroom only to discover that they had a 1-bedroom plus den (for which they had usually overpaid). Caveat emptor, buyer beware.
According to the signs, Domicile's Second Avenue West project on Bronson Ave is now officially under construction, with 85% of the units sold. I note with keen interest that the project has been revised to include a Guest Suite, a feature that is all too rare in Ottawa condo buildings... but one that will become a necessity at the rate floorplans have been shrinking!
With the success of the Merrion Square project under its belt, Domicile plans to seek rezoning for another 12-storey building of 101 units up the street at the former Hutchings & Patrick plant on the corner of Hickory. According to Domicile president John Doran, "We like to get into neighbourhoods that are emerging."
Sounds like a plan to me; this is a great and underrated neighbourhood steps from Dow's Lake, ample parkland, bike paths and scores of restaurants and cafés along Preston St. There are also some excellent businesses worth patronizing: Preston St Hardware, the Gladstone Theatre and Darrell Thomas immediately come to mind. With a growing business district, a good supply of office space and possible expansion of the O-Train corridor, this is definitely a neighbourhood (and project) to watch.
Domicile fans will be pleased to learn that the City has approved an 8-storey condo application at the corner of Holland and Wellington, formerly the Ovation site by Tartan Urban who built 92 Holland just up the block. It would seem that Tartan has given up on "urban" altogether, selling the site to Domicile who have expanded southwards by purchasing the adjoining property.
The technical specs call for 67 condos, 66 underground parking spots with an additional 4 for visitors and 2 for Vrtucar in a ground floor garage; bicycles will be accommodated with 34 spaces both on-site and within the garage. Similar to The Piccadilly on Wellington St at Island Park, the first floor will include commercial space. Locals may or may not be pleased to know that Collected Works is one of the retail tenants slated to move in. (This is one of my favourite haunts—I must admit that I'm still somewhat wary of their impending move.)Unlike the now defunct Ovation project, and The Currents just next door, there has been no word so far about the greenness of Domicile's latest outing in Wellington Village, but perhaps this is just as well after the recent EcoCité flop. That said, a quick scan of the City's report states that "the tree in front of 137 Holland Ave will be preserved", so hope springs eternal.(PS: It would seem that saving a tree is perhaps not enough as the City's approval of this project has been appealed to the OMB.)
Domicile recently launched the sales of their Second Avenue West project that's actually on Bronson, and since last week 30% of the units are conditionally sold. Looking at the price list and floorplans, it is not surprising to see that almost half the one bedroom units have been snapped up. If I myself were buying into this project I would have to agree with these savvy buyers: for my money the one bedrooms are the best Second West has to offer, both in terms of layout and value.That said, before I put down my deposit cheque, I would want to take a walk along Second Ave from Bronson to Bank St... starting on the west side of Bronson to appreciate just how long it will take to cross the street. (Perhaps it may be faster to cross at Carling Ave?)Walking back, I'd take a detour to the outdoor patio of Forno Antico at 683 Bronson, across the street from the Powell Lofts. Aside from enjoying some very good wood-fired pizza, I would also be able to gauge the level of traffic and noise coming off Bronson, particularly relevant in light of the fact that Domicile condos are one of the few that allow for balcony bbqs.Once I convinced myself that I am fine with the location and noise coming off Bronson, I would likely go for The Madison, my favourite model in Second Avenue West, with one bedroom plus a walled-in den. At 763sqft this is more than enough space for one person, and possibly even a couple (a very easy-going couple), with the closed-in den that can double as a reading room, home office or artist's studio... add a murphy bed, and this is perfect as a guest room with your in-laws accessing the bathroom from the second door off the ensuite:
The master bedroom is also well designed with a full 10" x 12" of space (that's big for new construction!) adjacent to a walk-through closet leading to the (cheater) ensuite bathroom. I further like that Domicile seems to have reinstated foyers in their condo designs—I really don't care to open the front door of a condo and find myself in the middle of a kitchen.
While I am inclined to think that this one+den is worse off than the The Delancey (the other one+den model facing the back), I also know that one rarely sits out on a balcony for much of anything, give or take an evening post-prandial.
But given that The Madison is recessed from the street by about 50 feet, I think chances are good that the Bronson expressway wouldn't deter me from grilling steaks and the 10' x 6' balcony makes a tempting case for al fresco dining. And as an alternative, I have the granite kitchen island, a nice fixture in all Second West units and a necessary one, since the floorplans really don't allow for a formal dining room set.
The sales launch of Domicile's Second Avenue West condos is this Thursday June 11th from 5 to 8pm at 619 Bank Street, the ground floor retail front of their 'g' building at Patterson Avenue.
Although these units are being billed as Glebe condos, caveat emptor as this is actually an area christened as "The Glebe Annex" when Charlesfort marketed their own Powell Lofts a few years ago. Second Avenue West is in fact quite a clever play on location as Domicile is actually building on the lots at 804-824 Bronson Ave to the west side of the street—Second Ave just happens to be the nearest intersection. Those hoping for a taste of life in The Glebe should factor in at least a 15-minute walk to Bank Street, but the serenity of Dow's Lake, along with "the life and the lattes" of Little Italy, are within closer reach.Don't get me wrong, one can hardly blame Domicile for fudging the location as Bronson Avenue is not exactly Ottawa's most desirable address. That said, it is certainly nice to see some more condo activity in the Bronson area as—traffic aside—this urban burgh is well situated mid-way between both The Glebe and Preston Street. I am browsing through copies of the floorplans and pricing for Second Avenue West and will post again shortly with my thoughts on both.
Late last year Domicile purchased the lot at 222 Beechwood Ave between Jolliet and Marquette (Kavanaugh's Esso Service Centre), putting forth a proposal for a 6-storey mixed use condo project similar to The Picadilly at 1422 Wellington Ave West:
I've had my eye on Beechwood Village for sometime as the next "it" neighbourhood, and some newer condo options could be just the boost needed to make this area more attractive to businesses and visitors alike. This enclave has always been a hidden gem; a mid-sized Domicile condo project on the main drag near such a great variety of shops would be a welcome breath of fresh air.
Domicile's last projects in the area were Governor's Gate on Durham Private and the redevelopment of Schoolhouse Square on Springfield, both of which were small scale projects with upscale price tags. At this time the neighbourhood could use an injection of more affordable condos, and these units on Beechwood along with Claridge's Lalique towers will be a welcome addition for those who want to be just east of downtown and the Market.
Groundbreaking took place last week, and the irony isn't lost on some of us in the neighbourhood that the home of a local florist and the former site of The Healthiest Home (purveyors of sustainable building supplies) have been razed to make way for eco-friendly condos.
