“More than anything, Galleries is a lifestyle concept,” says Garry Leitch of Assured Developments, creators of Galleries in both Marda Loop and Altadore (showsuite pictured).

“It's for people who really want to enjoy living in the inner city. Galleries is just ten minutes from downtown, and a two-minute walk from all the shops and galleries in Marda Loop,” Leitch says. Prices start in the $330,000s.

“At Galleries we’ve created very fluid living spaces – very upscale, urban and sophisticated.”

“People who enjoy the urban experience probably have some art they’d like to display in their home,” Leitch says. They'll find that Galleries lives up to its name. Natural and artificial light fill the living spaces, with gallery style lighting throughout the living and dining area.

Each of the ten units provides 1,500 square feet of finely-detailed space on three levels.

The main level of each townhome includes a single-car garage at the rear. The sheltered front door leads to an elegant foyer, with stairs to the public rooms on the second level.

The spacious living area on the second level features a balcony and a fireplace with integrated entertainment unit. The formal dining space easily seats six, and the adjoining kitchen has an eating bar with room for four.

Glass doors lead to a large sheltered deck. Of course there’s a powder room for the convenience of guests. The whole second-level space, unified by a sweep of hardwood floor, is ideal for entertaining.

Upstairs, the third level is a quiet retreat with two large bedrooms and two full baths. Each bedroom has a walk-in closet, and the master has an ensuite bath with soaker tub. Berber carpet provides a soft, quiet environment.

Finishes and features throughout each Galleries townhome were selected to meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated clientele. As Leitch says, “Five years ago granite countertops and stainless steel appliances were upgrades. Now they're considered to be standard, especially for inner city projects. That’s what people expect.”

At Galleries, the stainless steel appliances are from Kitchen Aid, including an over-the-range microwave, a full-sized dishwasher, a 30 inch self-cleaning range and a 21 cubic foot refrigerator. The kitchen faucet is a Grohe, the countertops are granite and the backsplashes are hand-set tile.

Art will be an integral part of Galleries townhomes. “We’ve got a partnership with the Alberta College of Art and Design. For each of the Galleries locations we are doing a call for submissions from ACAD students, and the winning piece will be installed as a feature of the project. We’re the first builder doing this,” Leitch says. A high-end wiring system by IONA runs through all the units and ties into a security system.

The Marda Loop project is Assured Developments’ second Galleries offering. The first, at Altadore, featured 12 slightly smaller townhomes, of which only three are still available, priced from $282,000.

Townhouses like these may become rare and sought-after, Leitch suggests. “As the price of land continues to go up, most builders can’t afford to put up townhomes because they can't get the density that they need. So I see a very rapid market appreciation on the Altadore and the Marda Loop projects for those who purchase early,” he says.

Marda Loop has become a premium location, he says, driven in part by the development of Garrison Woods. “The area is only beginning to show what it can offer in terms of the shops and galleries and the like. There’s a lot of potential there.”

Assured Developments Ltd. was established as a custom home builder in 1987. “We branched into the multi-family side of the business because we wanted to take what we’ve learned on the single-family side and develop meaningful, environmentally caring projects for our home owners,” Leitch says.

www.thegalleries.com