Sales The Carriage Club | 14 m | 4 fl

[WatDot]

Thanks for posting. Can't say I'm a fan of Activa at all. Pretty sure this will be a suburban RIM park development.

[garthdanlor]

Compromise Elsewhere? Is that the name of the condos or an advertising slogon for the condos? Either way, pretty damn awful.

[zanate]

Either way, pretty damn awful.

Perhaps you're not discerning enough?

Alternatively, maybe the "elsewhere" they speak of is the name.

[The Comeback Kid]

I think that tag line is hilarious. WatDot is right - It's part of the Carriage Crossing development at RIM Park.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Compromise Elsewhere – Meet Your Game Changer
July 19, 2012 | Activa Group Email

To Whom It May Discern:

As eagerly anticipated as a glorious tray of canapés at a black-tie affair, the first details for The Carriage Club, Waterloo’s most elegant new condominium community, have now been released.

Give passé a pass. Visit www.thecarriageclub.ca and be one of the first to be in the know about a discriminatingly private hideaway destined to redefine the privileged lifestyle.

Trend-setting two-storey lofts and villas, amply appointed suites and decidedly decadent penthouses – they’ll all be there – along with a selection of exclusive, resident-only amenities destined to be the envy of all others.

Literary luminary Oscar Wilde once said, “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” Give your expectations an upgrade. Discover The Carriage Club today!

Sincerely,

Activa Group

Your Lifestyle Developer

Location Map


Site Plan

[BuildingScout]

I could say something funny, but I find that the publicity for this project is very nearly a parody of itself.

p.s. I'm sure they'll have plenty of buyers nonetheless.

[mpd618]

Live at the edge of the city with nothing around you but at a high density, but there's no compromises. Also, luxury, somehow.

Activa needs to learn a new game that doesn't involve greenfields, not only to stop hurting the city, but also to avoid becoming irrelevant.

[Trogdor]

This project can only make me think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8StRAJCork

[UrbanWaterloo]

VIP Preview Invitation: Get Ready to be WOWED!
October 11, 2012 | Activa Group Email

Only 2 more days to confirm your attendance to this exclusive event!

The time has arrived for the exclusive unveiling of Waterloo’s most prestigious private residence condominium, The Carriage Club. As a registrant of The Carriage Club website, we request your presence as we reveal what will soon become Waterloo’s most sought after residence.

On Saturday, October 13th, 2012 from 11am - 5pm, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of pre-opening specials that will not be made available to the general public.

Please let us know that you will be attending by sending your RSVP to tania@thecarriageclub.ca or calling 519.489.7093. By registering for this event, you will be sent a personalized invitation that will gain you access to the preview event & special offers available on Saturday, October 13th only.

Location:

The Carriage Club Presentation Centre
2-243 Grey Silo Road
Waterloo, Ontario

[T-Bone]

Any idea on the cost of any of the units? I assume someone is going to be checking out the open house??

[UrbanWaterloo]

The official Grand Opening was this past weekend. Here's the details from it and the earlier VIP Event...

VIP Event - October 13, 2012















Price List




Promotion




Grand Opening - October 28, 2012

Model Suite V1 (2337 sq. ft.) with ~$250K in Upgrades
























Model Suite V3 (1951 sq. ft.) with Standard Finishes























Price List




Promotion

[rob_929]

<Barf>

[T-Bone]

I actually thing this development looks nice. Well other then the fact you cant really get anywhere without a car. But for a suburban area the density looks nice and so do the units.

[bcwessel]

I actually thing this development looks nice. Well other then the fact you cant really get anywhere without a car. But for a suburban area the density looks nice and so do the units.

But what's the point of living densely if you don't get the perks of enjoying a rewarding urban environment, complete with all of its walkable amenities? Not being able to get anywhere without a car is no small thing, especially when you're expected to have 4 or 5 times the neighbours of a standard unwalkable suburb, with every one of those neighbours also using their car to get around for everything.

[BuildingScout]

But what's the point of living densely if you don't get the perks of enjoying a rewarding urban environment, complete with all of its walkable amenities? Not being able to get anywhere without a car is no small thing, especially when you're expected to have 4 or 5 times the neighbours of a standard unwalkable suburb, with every one of those neighbours also using their car to get around for everything.

Exactly, this looks like a "worst of both worlds" development.

Having said that, there is one thing I learned about the real state market over the years: things settle down to their true value very slowly.

If you start with an overvalued residential development or condo, you are likely to get a first batch of buyers who are dazzled by the scale model mock up buying at full price.

For example about seven or eight years back there were a couple of overpriced (as compared to similar new housing elsewhere) residential developments in town. Yet, they all sold out and rather quickly for that matter. Fast forward to today, and those homeowners will be lucky to get 85% of what they paid for, while the other comparable residential developments are up 10%. Still it took eight years for the price differential to narrow that much, and I expect it to fall even further, still rather slowly, over the next two or three years.

[markster]

I actually thing this development looks nice. Well other then the fact you cant really get anywhere without a car. But for a suburban area the density looks nice and so do the units.

Yeah, I can't really argue with that. If suburban greenfield development is what you want to buy into, it looks nice.

That said, I'd like to see a small service node across the street at Millennium Blvd and Crossgate. Put amenities within walking distance, and people might actually walk to them.

[edit] Just checked, and that plot of land is zoned I-6 , so.... ugh.

manufacturing, processing or assembly
• automobile service stations
• animal hospital or veterinarian (but not to include animal runs)
• brewing on premise establishment
• offices
• commercial recreation (outdoor)
• commercial recreation
• commercial recreation (freestanding)
• communications facilities
• custom service shops
• dry cleaning and laundry plants
• dog obedience school (but not to include animal runs)
• industrial or construction equipment suppliers (rental or sales)
• laboratories
• lumber and building materials
• office supplies or office service establishment
• parking facility
• printing and/or publishing
• service and repair operations
• transportation service
• union or workers halls
• vehicle and equipment (auto, trucks, marine and all-terrain) sales, rental, service and repair
• warehousing and storage (no retail)
• wholesale outlet (no retail)

And if you're building an "industrial mall", you can get a bit more:

ii) ambulance dispatch
iii) banks or trust companies
iv) catering services with ancillary restaurant
v) coffee shops
vi) display and retail sales of hardware, home improvement materials and accessories.
148
vii) Where the Industrial Mall is greater than five thousand square metres (5,000sq.m) in building area, one restaurant shall be permitted, provided said restaurant is no greater than five hundred square metres (500sq.m) in building floor area.

[mpd618]

Those prices are absurd for what you get: nothing within walking distance and nothing interesting nearby but tons of traffic and tons of neighbours. As said above, this is the worst of both worlds. At half the prices they're offering, I can see it making sense. But at those prices it is only going to make Activa Group happy.

[BSLO]

I don't know if I agree with the notion that there is nothing interesting around. Residents would be right next door to RIM Park, and some excellent walking/running/biking trails.

In terms of amenities, there's no doubt that the area is currently severely lacking these. However, there is a small commercial block planned just west of this development at the corner of Millennium Blvd. and Oak Park Dr., and I know that longer term, there is a plan to develop the land just south of this development, which would include a grocery store-anchored plaza at the corner of University and New Hampshire. These would both be within reasonable walking distance.

That said, I fully agree that the price points don't match the location even given this information. If you're paying this much to live in a condo development, you should be in the centre of all the action, not next to a bunch of farmer's fields. Since this development is very close to the Waterloo/Township of Woolwich border, I don't see the potential for this location to eventually be worth it unless there is one hell of an industrial mall built on that land across Millennium Blvd.

[jay]

These prices are insane. On a 770sq/ft unit you pay 346sq/ft condo fees (includes hydro I know), but hydro at that sq/ft is 50-90 a month max. Plus another $45/month for parking fee, and if you buy a additional parking space which most people would need living in this area you pay $35/month for a surface spot which they will probably charge between 5k-15k for. Thats close to $450/month extra on you mortgage and property tax for a 770sq/ft unit in middle of nowhere. Yes I know of the trails and such around but that pricing is ludacris.

Nice try on Activa for trying these prices, but the tide is shifting in the housing market and the only people buying these places are probably the same people who bought Nortel at 140$/share before the collapse.