Whether you work in the city’s downtown core or just like the idea of being in the centre of a vibrant city full of culture and excitement, you have pro­bably entertained the thought of purchasing a condominium home in the area. Homburg-Centron Teamworks has embarked on a project that will not only provide exceptional housing in a fantastic location, but will also introduce a green initiative never before seen in multiple high-rise construction.

Located in the heart of Calgary’s Beltline district, Oslo is the first of two towers in a project dubbed Kai Towers. In total, the high-rising pair will include 474 residential units atop a commercial base—housing retailers such as Il Pescatore Restaurant and Redwater Rustic Grille. With a total of 15,631 square-feet of retail space, residents will be sure to have some unique amenities to choose from.

The East tower, Oslo will be a 32-storey building with 274 stylish units including one-bedroom, one-bedroom-plus-den, two-bedroom and penthouse suites. Sizes range from a cosy 536 square-feet up to a spacious 1,607 square-feet, with prices starting in the mid $300,000s. In conjunction with responsible building methods and energy-saving features, Oslo offers over 7,000 square-feet of beautifully landscaped green-roof patio space on the fifth floor—a beautiful place for residents to relax and enjoy the fresh-air and lush greenery. Additionally, there will be another second-level patio for the exclusive use of residents on the second floor.

Employing efficient irrigation technology, including rainwater har­vesting, Oslo offers a total of 21,000 square-feet of landscaped oases, while taking environmentally-conscious measures to maintain these areas.

Allison Clark, sales and marketing manager for the Centron Group of Companies, says Oslo offers a quality urban lifestyle without sacrificing a need to be good to the environment. “We feel that our green initiatives, as well as our fresh approach to urban dwellings will really set us apart from other developments,” says Clark. “We hope our vision for this project is the start to other sustainable residential high rise buildings in Calgary.”

Not only will Oslo allow residents the chance to be kinder to the environment, but it will also poise them to be good to themselves. The project is close to biking and walking paths for the health-conscious, but for those who wish to stay closer to home a state of the art fitness and rejuvenation centre will allow residents to enhance lifestyles without having to leave the building. Some other features include in-suite recycling bins and a central recycling centre, a parking stall per unit (two per penthouse suite), and a bicycle storage area.

Construction of Oslo has already begun, with possessions estimated for winter 2009. If you are interested in learning more about the project you can visit the sales centre at 11 Avenue and 12 Street S.W., located one block west of the actual construction site. The centre is open Monday through Thursday, noon till 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, noon till five. If you have ever considered living in Calgary’s city centre, then Oslo might appeal to you. 

For more information about the Oslo at Kai Towers visit http://www.OsloLiving.com

In The Hub

Living in the Beltline a cinch

The Connaught-Beltline area is one of Calgary’s inner-city neighbourhoods with rather a lot of history. Once a quiet suburb in a small town, the Beltline area has become a high-density development area for a busy metropolitan city.

This area is now a much sought-after area for those working in the downtown core, and due to its proximity, area residents often take advantage of being able to walk to careers. At the heart of this area is the Design District, aptly named due to the fact many of Calgary’s best furniture and home décor shops are located there. The Design District encompasses 10 Avenue to 12 Avenue S.W. north to south and 4 Street to 14 Street S.W. east to west, and includes numerous art galleries, design studios, Co-Op and Safeway supermarkets and Mountain Equipment Co-op as well. Additionally, you can find home builders, architects and some really great restaurants. Although the area is a great place to explore just by strolling down the streets, it is central on transit routes with buses and the LRT line nearby for those who want to visit from other parts of the city.