Buyers from Calgary have turned up, but the main buying market so far has been local residents of Chestermere, who are downsizing or just setting out on their own. It seems that once you’ve settled in Chestermere, you just don’t want to leave.

“The vote is, from the local people, ‘We don’t want to leave the area, but our lifestyle is changing,’” says Greg Clement, with special projects business development for Beattie Homes. “Condominium living is necessary for some, and this is the only condo project on the lake, and may be the only one on the lake for a long time.”

Located along the northwest shore of the nearly 730 acre lake, the Bay Club will indeed be the only condo complex on the lake until a lakefront homeowner decides to sell their property to a developer, who will then need to obtain a permit from the town to develop a condominium project. So for the foreseeable future, the Bay Club is your one chance to live along the lake and experience the lifestyle that goes with that.

Buyers from Calgary have discovered that, especially if you work at the Peter Lougheed Hospital, the airport, or Foothills industrial park, living in Chestermere just makes sense. Clement points out that Chestermere is the closest satellite community to the city, just a 15 minute drive from downtown Calgary via 17th Avenue East.

“People today really need to think about traveling time between work and where they live,” says Clement. “The whole ‘eastern horizon’ of the city contains so many businesses and so much activity that people would find it very advantageous to live close to the eastern edge and avoid traffic and longer traveling times, that they would have to deal with if they lived in other quadrants.”

The Bay Club is made up of two phases, each an L-shaped building offering optimum views of the lake. There are still suites available in Phase One, ranging in size from 642 to 1,000 square feet and in price from $124,900 to 240,000. Phase Two is now pre-selling. Suites in Phase Two are the same size and layout as in Phase One, and range in price from $129,000 to $264,000. Buyers can choose between the one-bedroom Launch floorplan (the smallest) and five two-bedroom plans ranging from 847 to 1000 sqare feet. Some plans on the top floor feature vaulted ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. If you buy pre-construction in Phase Two, there is also the opportunity to customize certain floor plans.

All Bay Club suites include a balcony or patio, kitchen pantry, Venetian blind package, satellite or cable TV hook-ups, and full appliance package, including space-saver microwave/hoodfan combination. Buyers can choose between an electrical fireplace or TV cabinetry in the living room. The living room is hard-wired to connect to the built-in computer niche, allowing residents to view their computer’s HD video and audio output on their television. Don’t be intimidated by how high-tech that sounds – there is an IT person available in case you need help hooking up your system.

Also included with each Bay Club home is one underground parking stall, with the option to buy a second, as well as a storage locker.

Colour choices are not just the regular four palettes to choose from. Buyers at the Bay Club get the same consultation at Beattie’s Elements Design Studio as every Beattie Homes buyer. At Elements, the homebuyer can choose from a wide range of flooring, window covering, cabinetry and lighting options for their new home.

Each building also features two flex rooms, the contents of which will be decided by popular consensus. Clement explains that they could become fitness facilities, lounge areas, libraries or a variety of other options residents may suggest.

Outside, a common courtyard features a gazebo and picnic area, and the John Peak Memorial Park is right next door. The park is currently under improvement and will soon be freshly landscaped and home to a new boat launch. Behind the park and immediately to the south of Phase Two of Bay Club is the new Chestermere Town Centre, which will feature a Safeway, gas bar and Tim Horton’s, along with other amenities. For additional recreation time, the Lakeside Greens Golf and Country Club is also nearby.

Until June 30, buyers will receive one of Bay Club’s grand opening promotions. Choose from six months of no condo fees, an upgrade of the appliance package to stainless steel, or $2500 in upgrades at the Elements Design Studio.

To see the Bay Club for yourself, take 17th Avenue east to Chestermere, turn left before the lake and follow the signs. The show suite is open from 2 to 8 pm, Monday to Thursday, and from noon to 5 pm Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. For more information visit http://www.bayclub.ca