Keynote Development Corporation lives up to its name by establishing the fundamental tone for this ambitious, mixed-use development and then orchestrating the adaptations necessary to keep the project true to the original score during these unpredictable times.

“Going into 2009, it will be a very different world,” says Jeannie Elrafie, Keynote’s sales manager, referring to the boom and subsequent recoil in Calgary’s real estate market over the quarter. “We are really proud to be progressing through construction to fullfil our promise to our homeowners and sticking to the vision of Keynote.”

The three towers of Keynote—two residential and one office building—offer a new option for Calgarians seeking a lifestyle where the focus is on “doing” instead of “going to do” and it’s all done with an emphasis on urban vibe living.

For starters, standard nine-foot ceilings, a choice of three colour palettes for cork flooring and cosy wool blend carpeting create the perfect frame for the 11 floor plans. These musically-named designs, such as the Drum show suite, range from 575 to 931 square-feet. In addition, Skysuites on the 25th floor offer over 1,500 square-feet of living space and two-bedroom-plus-den plans.

Keynote has made sure to provide a quality in the finished product that justifies prices set by the urban condominium market—so the suites will include impressive standard features like granite countertops, stainless steel appliance packages and complementary door pulls, levers and faucets. Floor-to-ceiling roller blinds allow residents to maintain their privacy and still enjoy their city views, while lighting and design colours have been carefully selected to harmonize with the base features. The 24th floor features two new floor plans, the Harmony and Glissando, that offer sub-penthouse sized balconies and have the added luxury of ten-foot ceilings.

There are only 36 homes available in Tower One and Keynote is focusing on presenting those opportunities to the buying public. “We’ve sold over 85 per cent of the suites in Tower One,” says Elrafie, adding that since financing is in place for Tower One, the focus is now on completing the well under way construction of Tower One. The 14-storey office tower was topped off in November of 2008, and 2009 with be a huge year for Keynote as the first tower and the retail podium will be completed.

Keynote is a subsidiary of Balboa Land Investments, with a 110-year track record and which counts construction and renovation properties in Calgary from the Hyatt Regency to the historic Doll Block. In addition to a strong reputation from its affiliation with Balboa, Keynote has been fortunate to secure the services of a major contractor, PCL, who has locked in costs to protect the project and buyers from the vulnerabilities of market demands.

“We wanted people to really live here,” says Elrafie, adding the company took atypical steps when it began selling the properties. Asking for ten per cent down on homes and putting a one-year hold on deposits has eliminated real estate speculators who buy up suites hoping to turn a quick profit. “We take comfort in knowing the people who have invested in Keynote are confident with what we’re promising.” Elrafie believes the new residents in Victoria Crossing will shape the area into a highly sought-after community.
“You know the Yaletown (of Calgary) is coming,” she says, citing the cutting-edge community in downtown Vancouver housing a similar, wildly successful project launched over a decade ago.