The project, now under construction at Heritage Drive and Macleod Trail South, sits in an enviable location steps away from the Heritage C-Train station and transit hub, to which a pedway will be built for easy access. Already, the area is convenient to a wide variety of services and shops, but with the retail component of the Heritage Station development, London will be a neighbourhood all its own.

As sales manager Richard Popowich puts it, “you won’t even have to cross the street to get groceries, never mind drive,” remarking that in fact it will probably be quicker and easier for residents to walk downstairs to a coffee shop in the morning than turn on the coffee maker in their home.

The development is full of surprises, and the “green” side of London might be the most surprising of all. Developer Westcorp Properties is in an (unofficial) race to build the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-designated high-rise building in Alberta. The rating signifies a whole-building approach to sustainability, with a focus on five key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The eco-friendly planning began at ground-level, with Westcorp president Phil Milroy’s unique vision for the site. Randy Ferguson, senior vice-president of Westcorp Properties explains that anyone who saw the site—which is made up of a flat, open space along Macleod Trail and another flat space along the C-Train tracks, divided by a four-storey drop—would have built residential at the bottom and retail at the top. What made Milroy’s vision unique was the utilization of the four-storey drop, which Westcorp has burrowed into to create tempered parking. This not only maximized available space, it also creates a far superior platform for the retail phase of the project.

Green features at London include green (literally—with vegetation) roofs, rainwater collection for irrigation, low-e windows, low-flow toilets, high-efficiency fixtures, on-demand hot water, ceiling-level hot water radiant heating and optional air conditioning. To further save on energy, suites are separately served and separately metered for utility use, encouraging conservation.

Westcorp has a history of environmentally-conscious development, which Ferguson says is “good for us as a company, it’s good for our customers, and it’s the right thing to do. We believe that the time will come when it will be the only way things will be allowed to be done, and we want to be ahead of that curve.”

Westcorp also has a background in live-work-play design, focussing on centrally located sites near walking, biking and transit hubs, where they develop, or re-develop mixed-use projects.

These components play into the “European urban village” feel that London embodies. The aim is to create a community where residents can access work, services and recreation without having to drive.

Besides the exterior services Heritage Station will offer, London will boast an impressive amenities package for its residents as well. The Amenities Centre will be located in the combined atrium between buildings three and four, and will include a sports lounge, fitness room, library, executive office, hobby room, two media rooms, various function and multi-purpose rooms, and wine storage.
“Because of the scale (of the project), we can put together a very nice amenities package,” says Popowich. “We’re really trying to focus on what people actually use.”

Currently available London condos range in size from 759-square-foot, one-bedroom units to 1,196-square-foot two-bedroom units, with one-bedroom-plus-den plans also available. Prices start at $323,000.

Construction on the first and second buildings is well underway, with the first building sold out and the second tower approximately half sold.  CL