If you have been in Calgary for any length of time, like me, you no doubt have driven by St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church which is located at 404 Meredith Road NE in the community of Crescent Heights. Its remarkable and noteworthy steeples have been a landmark on the Calgary skyline for years and no doubt has a very rich and interesting history.
On the weekend, I asked the Parish Priest, Taras Krochak if he would show me through the Sanctuary, and he graciously obliged. Have a look at some of the amazing artistry displayed on a large arrangement of religious icons.
The centre piece of the Chancel is a magnificent chandelier extending upwards to the heavens. I am sure there is some fascinating history and lore behind the design and architecture of this unique and beautiful building.
You may wish to stop by and attend one of their services which are held on Sunday mornings. For more information on St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Rectory, please visit their website at www.stvlads.com.
Holly Point is located at 320 Meredith Road NE, Calgary in the popular community of Crescent Heights. Built in 1981, It is one of two prominent condominium units which overlook Downtown Calgary, the other being Holly Park. Holly Point is registered on Condominium Plan 8111087 and has 39 Units. Parking is assigned and there is plenty of it, on two levels. The Lobby is on Level P2. Residents on the South side of Holly Point have breathtaking views of the Downtown skyline. All of the units are large by most standards and have sizeable balconies and plenty of windows. All of the units in Holly Point are large, which makes it a good choice for anyone downsizing from a single family home. Heat and Water is included in your condo fees. Holly Park is located on a very quiet cul-de-sac just west of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a well known, Calgary landmark.
They been doing some major improvements at Holly Point over the last couple of years. I understand the roof has been replaced and the lobby has been modernized. The lobby is very inviting with a relaxing water feature greeting you visitors on their arrival. There is a two hour parking zone along the entire front of Holly Point. It is on a snow route so one should be cognizant of that.
The Holly Point Condo Board has been making some much needed and desirable improvements to the building in recent years. This attractive water feature greats your guests upon their arrival and creates a visually stunning centrepiece.
The Holly Point Lobby has been recently modernized, and the elevator is practically brand new. I understand the roof has also been replaced so the board seems to be fairly proactive in maintaining the building. The elevator has a special feature I really like and that is, it will wait open on the last floor it visited. In a building with a small amount of traffic this can be a real time saver. Below is the South panoramic city view afforded unit holders of Holly Point.
Holly Point’s exercise room is on the 3rd floor. There is also an adjoining men’s and separate ladies sauna, with changing rooms.
The Social Room is large, and includes functional kitchen which can double as a wet bar. There is also a pool table. Functions are notated on the door. I liked the fact that this room could be utilized as a board room on short notice as Holly Point residents are not locked out as with most other buildings.
There are some storage rooms available throughout the building. These have been allocated on a 99 year lease. Not all units have received one, and others may have more than one, depending on how they were initially allocated.
Holly Point Amenities
Lighted, walk-in closets
Wood burning fireplace with gas starter
Heat lamps in en-suite bathrooms
Exercise Room (Unit 306)
Social Room next door to 306
In-Suite Laundry in Storage Room
Central Air
Underground Parking
Breathtaking City Views
Central Location
Bicycle storage available
Storage Rooms may be available on some units, or there may be a possibility of renting one if one becomes available
Holly Point Inclusions
Heat & Water are included in the condo fees
Holly Point Restrictions
No Dogs are allowed in the building
Holly Point Parking
There is ample parking on two levels in Holly Point. The lower level P1 and upper level P2. Each condo unit comes with at least one assigned stall. There may be opportunities to rent an additional parking stall if one is available.
There are five visitor stalls in total – two on P1 and three on P2
If you would like to buy or sell a home or condo in Crescent Heights, or elsewhere in the city, I would be pleased to assist you in that regard.
I recently attended a meeting of the Dragonfly Cohousing Project which is being built in Crescent Heights and is scheduled for completion in May of 2013. The Dragonfly Cohousing Project is one of possibly 1000 cohousing projects sprouting up around the globe. There are only a dozen or so in Canada. The Architect on the Dragonfly Cohousing is NORR Architects & Planners.
Zaak Robichaud and Jana Vanderkloet are responsible for Membership and Marketing for Dragonfly Cohousing. Jana is also part of the Coordination Team. They have been working tirelessly to see their dream of creating a unique, intentional community come together.
The Dragonfly Cohousing site has been purchased and comprises a couple of blocks at 1st Avenue and 3rd Street SW, Calgary. It has very good access to public transportation and Memorial Drive.
The Dragonfly Vision
“An intentional community that values building relationships through collaboration, respect and trust. Celebrating our gifts and differences, we appreciate diversity and honour multiculturalism. As a community, we are committed to the environment and conserving resources while creating and maintaining healthy, sustainable homes”.
Dragonfly Cohousing will incorporate 36 individual living units which will range from 750 to 1200 sq. ft. There are a number of floor plans. The estimates are shown in the table below and is subject to change at any of the design workshops being held in the first quarter of 2012. By autumn of 2012, the costs should be fixed, as construction begins.
TYPE
QUANTITY
SIZE (SF)
1 Bedroom + Den
8
750
2 Bedroom
8
860
2 Bedroom + Den
14
1050
3 & 4 Bedroom
6
1250 +/-
Common Cohousing Features
All unit holders participate in the management process
Structures designed to encourage community and interaction
Private homes supplemented by extensive Common Amenities – most notably “The Common House”. Other examples, Workshops, Hobby Rooms, Home Theatre, etc.
Consensus Decision Making
Non-Hierarchical Structure
No Shared financial economy
Not a specific style or place of dwelling
Self Managed – usually registered as condominiums
Shared Resources – Examples: Labour, Vehicles, Child Care etc.
Holistic emphasis on the “We” instead of the “Me”
Environmentally Sustainable
Reduced costs
Strong Internal resources
Car Pooling
Reduced utility costs through shared connections
Low maintenance
Low crime rate
If you are interested in Dragonfly Cohousing, you are encouraged to attend at least 1 information session and three meetings to get a feel for the project before committing. The project is moving along quickly and through my involvement with the “Prairie Sky” cohousing project, I know that the units will sell fast. I have witnessed a tremendous satisfaction rate and very low turnover among cohousing residents.
Visit this site for more information on Dragonfly Cohousing or visit www.cohousing.ca and www.cohousing.org for general information. I am very excited about this, and other cohousing projects in Calgary, which promise to improve the quality of life greatly for their residents.
If you are contemplating a move to Dragonfly Cohousing, you will in all likelihood require a good REALTOR®. I hope you will consider me to handle the sale of your home.
