Hole’s former greenhouse site on Boudreau Road will soon make room for a condominium project that’s envisioned as vibrant, luxurious and European.
Botanica Developments will feature two steel-and-concrete condominium buildings offering large suites and penthouses, rooftop gardens and outdoor patios.
“What we wanted was a building that represents the history of that site, takes in the ravine views and the river and we also wanted a real high quality,” said Dave Haut, one of the partners in the ownership group for Botanica.
Located at 105 Bellerose Dr., Botanica is to be a pair of buildings – of six and seven stories – connected by a two-storey common area.
There will be a total of 290 units, from which buyers can choose between one-, two- and two-bedroom-with-den apartments, Haut said.
Apartments will range in size from 800 to 2,000 square feet and come with large windows and balconies, Haut said. The latter include outlets for natural gas barbecues and water access. Some also have built-in planters, he said.
The two buildings will be drawn together by a common area that includes a two-storey fitness room overlooking the river and a community gathering place with a living wall (a wall decorated with living, growing plants.)
On top will be a 3,500 to 4,000-square-foot rooftop patio with seating areas, plants and a fireplace looking across the river, he said.
Haut said the buildings are envisioned as a last place to buy for clients who want a little more space but also want to enjoy an active lifestyle. An extensive trail system on the grounds connects the buildings with the existing trails along the river.
The site will also include a Lois Hole memorial area with one of her sayings engraved in stone with a waterfall flowing over it and plants beside it, he added.
“It just encourages people to participate in the ravine and spend time outside,” he said.
Botanica units start at $300,000, while penthouse condos can cost more than $1 million. Residents will be able to park their cars in a three-level underground garage with almost 500 stalls, he added. Garbage cans will also be kept underground and lifted out on disposal day.
Haut said the buildings are a project of Boudreau Developments. Construction on the first building is expected to start in early February, and will take between 18 and 20 months to finish.
The development will sit adjacent to The Shops at Boudreau, a high-end shopping centre developed by Edmonton-based Chrisen Realty Corporation at 101 Bellerose Dr.
The Shops will offer everything from high-end boutiques, to retail and professional services, offices, restaurants and cafés.
“Really what this development will do, it will give the residents of St. Albert an opportunity to live on the edge of the river, to walk to the shops, and to have that European lifestyle a lot of us crave,” Haut said.
To learn more about Botanica, Boudreau Developments is holding an open house on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at the red barn on the former site of Hole’s greenhouses at 105 Bellerose Dr.
