When people think about residential development in downtown Victoria, high-end luxury isnB次元官网网址檛 necessarily the first thing that springs to mind.
Stan Sipos and his Cielo Properties aim to change that with the Customs House project, which is part heritage revitalization and part new construction and begins development next month. The 57 residential suites will be comfortably sized between 1,450 and 4,400 square feet, with 10- to 13-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows in some cases and of course, the unparalleled view of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Inner Harbour.
B次元官网网址淥ur objective was to design a building that is not only modern, but is respectful to the old,B次元官网网址� he said. He envisions something akin to the luxury apartments lining Central Park in New York, or in old London. B次元官网网址淪omething that [doesnB次元官网网址檛] discredit or reduce the fabric of the neighbourhood,B次元官网网址� he said.
Sipos isnB次元官网网址檛 shy about the target market for these high-end homes, 40 per cent of which have already sold. Some suites have fetched more than $2,000 per square foot, said to be a record for Victoria.
Cielo Properties B次元官网网址� cielo is the Spanish word for heaven B次元官网网址� has a wealth of experience building transformative projects around Victoria. The Vogue on Government Street between Johnson Street and Pandora Avenue was a non-descript former government office building that became a sought-after residence with a solid anchor tenant in Mountain Equipment Co-Op at street level.
B次元官网网址淲hen we converted that into residences and MEC became the main tenant there, it transformed the whole core,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that it generated huge traffic to an area that had previously been avoided.
While the Customs House site is one of the gateways to the cityB次元官网网址檚 downtown, it has long been lacking vibrancy and engagement at the street level, Sipos said.
The City of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 plans to revitalize Ship Point across Wharf Street from the Courtenay Street side of this block will dovetail nicely into plans for the site, he said. The Customs House project will seek out very exclusive, unique street-level retailers B次元官网网址� Sipos said heB次元官网网址檇 love to get an Apple store as a tenant.
B次元官网网址淭his has tremendous potential to create a new sense of quality and vitality. With the new parkette at Ship Point and other changes to the area, the fabric of the neighbourhood will change.B次元官网网址�
So far, sales inquiries have come in from virtually around the world: New York, Singapore, Europe, even Dubai, as well as from locals and elsewhere in Canada.
With a unique location in the heart of the Inner Harbour, Sipos feels a strong responsibility and a passion to make the most of the opportunity to develop here.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e worked harder on this than any project IB次元官网网址檝e ever worked on to make sure we have everything right, from the storefronts to the look of the buildings. ItB次元官网网址檚 a once in a lifetime opportunity really. We have a project that is front and centre for our city.B次元官网网址�
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