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Third-year accounting student Kaitlin McKernan said good-bye to her life as a renter when she moved into her newly purchased condo in December.

After living in cramped apartments in Sunalta and Mission, the young University of Calgary student felt the timing was right to invest a recently acquired inheritance into a place of her own. “I really liked Mission — I liked being downtown. Renting is very expensive downtown, and I thought paying condo fees and utilities would be cheaper than rent,” she says. After scouting out a few locations, McKernan went with a ready-to-move-into, two-bedroom plus den condo in Qualex-Landmark’s Park Point on 12th Avenue S.W., across the street from the Memorial Park Library in Central Memorial Park.

The 34-storey, 289-unit condo tower was completed in August and has plenty of new move-in ready units awaiting owners. McKernan believed slow market conditions combined with the builder’s special incentives made it the right time to make a move. “I had looked at new builds, but Park Point was one of the only brand-new ones,” she says. “A lot of older buildings seemed to have high condo fees for what you’re getting, so I felt like the condo fees are reasonable here.”

Her last place was only 490 square feet in size, so she was eager to spread out and make room for her boyfriend and for his parents when they come to visit from Manitoba. She went for one of the largest two-bedroom options in Park Point; Plan 07C, a southeast-facing corner unit. With 1,024 square feet, it has two full bathrooms, laundry area, big closets and a den for studying. “It’s nice to have this small room — it’s necessary. It’s about five by six feet but it’s enough for what I need,” she says. McKernan had first liked a suite on the 26th floor, but once she stepped out onto the balcony, the extreme height scared her, so opted for her current place on a floor closer to the ground. She loves her spacious master bedroom with its walk-through closet and beautiful ensuite, but also appreciates her gas stove and is looking forward to using the air conditioning in her south-facing apartment this summer. “My favourite part of the building is the gym. That was a must-have for me, too. Not having to pay that membership is such a money saver. I also like having a concierge at the front to receive packages and the security in the building is good, too,” she says. The Beltline location is ideal for McKernan who likes walking to the Saddledome, to Stephen Avenue and to restaurants close by. “I like the downtown atmosphere. It’s a little more lively,” she says.

About 38 suites remain in Park Point, which can be viewed by appointment says sales manager Leah Callow. “There’s a decent selection of park-facing units in the mid- to upper floors. It’s a mix of one- and two-bedroom units starting in the $290,000s,” she says.The one-bedrooms are 560 square feet; one-bedrooms plus flex room are 570 to 642 square feet; one-bedroom plus den models are 588 to 646 square feet. The two-bedroom floor plans range from 854 to 1,024 square feet. Callow says there is one 1,320-square-foot, two-bedroom townhome left on the southeast corner of the building, one of the largest live/work units in Park Point with two parking stalls and two patios, priced at $707,480 plus GST.

The building has a full list of amenities, including a gym and yoga/Pilates area, steam room and sauna, an outdoor terrace with a fountain, a barbecue area, 24-hour concierge service and Wi-Fi in all common areas. “There’s a car wash and a dog wash on the main level to the parkade, as well. What our buyers are noticing is that they’re cost-efficient amenities. People nowadays are more conservative about condo fees. If there’s a pool or a hot tub, which might sound appealing, you do pay for them eventually. In this market, people still want the luxury of higher-end amenities, but maybe not a pool. People are happy with what we have to offer,” she says.

The condo fees are approximately $0.48 per square foot, which also includes heat, air conditioning, soft water and natural gas. Amenities aside, the central location across from the Memorial Park Library, now a national historic site, is what makes Park Point a desirable inner-city property.

“We’re just two blocks from the Plus-15 access,” Callow says, explaining that a parkade on 10th Avenue S.W. has an elevator to the Plus-15 level that takes the pedestrian over the tracks into Gulf Canada Square, a shortcut and a big bonus in cold, winter months.

THE DETAILS

PROJECT: Park Point
BUILDER: Qualex-Landmark™
COMMUNITY: Beltline
HOMES: Move-in ready one-bedroom, one-bedroom-plus-den, two-bedroom, two-bedroom-plus den; 850 square feet to 1,024 square feet plus one remaining 1,320-square-foot, two-bedroom townhome.
PRICES: From the $290,000s plus GST
INFORMATION:parkpoint.qualex.ca

View the article online by Cindy Stephen for Calgary Herald
For final homes opportunities, contact Leah Callow, Sales Manager for details.
Want to learn more about Park Point ? Let us know!
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