Not only is this trendy and stylish urban marketplace a beautiful place to live, but it is also orchestrated for a beautiful way to live.

“Statesman has been a Calgary builder for more than 32 years and the opportunity to have a local trusted builder, develop in the inner city on an unbelievable 14-acre parcel of land is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Kevin Ingalls, vice-president and chief financial officer of Statesman.

Founded in 1875, the community of Ingle­wood still has a very distinct, old-fashioned style and it was extremely important to Statesman to maintain the feel of the neighbourhood’s heritage.

“We did go with the complete brick exterior in order to maintain the classic architectural look of the much-older Calgary community,” says Ingalls. “You do not get many older communities in this city but this is one of them and we wanted to make something that will be a landmark within this community for another hundred years.”

Riverside Quays totals 694 units, with 71 townhomes and 623 apartment-style condos. The property is equipped with a 13,000-square-foot resident-exclusive amenities centre, complete with an exercise club and health spa. Outdoor kitchen barbecues are also available. Statesman got the zoning permits to put small businesses along the Quays’ main street and will be conveniently equipped with shops and other services.

The land Riverside Quays is being built on was vacant for years. Prior to that there was a concourse, Sears building warehouse and Russell Steel plant. The most challenging part of the building process for Statesman was getting approval to build it from the City of Calgary. It was a struggle but Statesman is finally there, after being in the planning and permit stage for a number of years.

Statesman has also raised the bar in the architecture of inner-city living developments, literally. Constructed with concrete and steel, the builder is the only company in Southern Alberta that is building with the non-combustible and quiet features of this superior construction technology.

“Statesman does just about everything, that’s why we are so good,” says Ingalls. We build it, design it, sell it, market it, warrantee it; we do everything ourselves.”

Phase One of the Quays encompasses 124 Terraces (ranging from 732 to 1,342 square-feet) and the Quays Club. Phase One is over 50 per cent sold and residents will be moving in early Spring 2009. The project will be fully finished in five years.

Statesman also locks in the pricing of each unit in advance. “Coming to a company with firm contracts is huge, people are vigilant about it. To have set prices with no adjustments is excellent for our reputation with new home owners,” says Ken Andrade, Statesman’s professional sales consultant.

Statesman does not package interior design options for clients, says Andrade, adding the choices in the builder’s design centre are almost unparalleled in the multi-family business. Every suite is customized for its buyer. “They can do whatever they want inside,” he reveals. “In the case of resale value, residents will not be competing against each other in the building because the Terraces will be distinctively unique.”

“It isn’t just the option of picking one out of three finishes off the wall,” adds Ingalls. “We are more than that.”

Riverside Quays residents also net an exclusive VIP Club Card. The card provides access to discounts from merchants and retailers in Inglewood and other quality retailers and service providers. The second advantage is a discount vacation at one of the Statesman resorts; Pine Ridge Mountain Resort, over-looking Lake Windermere B.C.; or Toscana at Desert Ridge in Scottsdale/ Phoenix Arizona; or The Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort in Puget Sound, Washington State.

“When you buy here, you are buying into the Statesman family, which means access to the Resorts that we are developing, at discounted prices,” says Ingalls. “Not only is Riverside Quays your best inner-city real estate choice, we blow the competition away with lower-than-market pricing.

For more information, visit http://www.riverq.ca.  The office is located at 1640 17A Street S.E.

Photos by Joanne Chang