The Grande 300 Morrissey Road Port Moody 220 homes in a 26 storey tower by Onni
Retail offerings, rapid transit and stellar views key to the appeal of Port Moody?s The Grande
Kathleen Freimond
The Vancouver Sun
Project: The Grande
Project address: 300 Morrissey Road
Project City: Port Moody
Developer: Onni Group
Architect: Ciccozzi Architecture
Interior design: Onni Group
Project size: 26-storeys; 220 homes
Bedrooms: 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms
Unit size: 600 — 2,100 square feet
Price: High $400,000s to $2.7 million
Construction: Concrete
Sales centre: 601 – 220 Brew Street, Suter Brook Village
Sales centre hours: noon — 6 p.m., Sat — Thurs
Phone: 604-552-0552
Website: http://www.onni.com/thegrande
As the Onni Group begins development on the final parcel of land in Suter Brook Village, its 22-acre master-planned community in Port Moody, a combination of amenities, views and proximity to the SkyTrain and West Coast Express are driving interest in the 26-storey residential tower, The Grande.
The Grande will comprise 220 units, including one-, two- and three-bedroom condos, four sub-penthouses and four penthouses. Architect Robert Ciccozzi, principal of Ciccozzi Architecture, says the tower is sited to maximize views of the Burrard Inlet while not obstructing the outlook from existing buildings.
“This is the last parcel of land in Suter Brook Village, so Onni wanted to do something unique with it, something iconic and visible from the SkyTrain line,” Ciccozzi says.
To achieve this Ciccozzi, oriented as many units as possible to take advantage of the water view to the northwest. This resulted in a large floor plate and Ciccozzi added strong vertical architectural elements to make it appear more slender.
Large metal panels create white frames on the northwest and northeast corners to address the water views, while the alternating placement of balconies on the south elevation adds visual interest to the building, he says.
“At the very top of building, we express that verticality by cranking up those corners with that sloped roof and pulling back the penthouse units,” Ciccozzi says. Rather than a flat roof, these elements also distinguish the building and exaggerate the vertical movement, he adds.
Two white frames define the entrance to The Grande.
“It’ something to appreciate on a human scale. You [will] enter under the canopy and then inside, the two-storey volume opens up and the quality of light coming through the patterns in the concrete creates something quite whimsical,” Ciccozzi says.
Inside the contemporary tower, buyers can choose from two colour schemes: Westcoast and the slightly darker Evergreen option.
There are two display kitchens at the sales centre. In the kitchen showing the Westcoast option, the large island with a marble countertop features an overhang that easily has room for four chairs, making it a great place for a breakfast bar and work area. The island also accommodates an undermount dual-bowl sink and polished chrome faucet with extractable spray and a push button control for the garburator.
Onni Group senior interior designer Julia Devlin says the integrated appliances contribute to the high-end European esthetic in the kitchens. Major appliances include a 30-inch Blomberg refrigerator with bottom-mount freezer, a Fulgor Milano five-burner cooktop and convection wall oven, Blomberg dishwasher and slim-profile Faber hood fan.
The durable wood-grain melamine cabinets have soft-close mechanisms and integrated finger pulls enable a flush finish. Under-cabinet LED puck lights and overhead pot lights illuminate the space that also features built-in pantry cupboards (sizes vary according to plan selection) with adjustable shelves.
Two bathrooms at the sales centre show potential buyers both colour and material palettes. Devlin says the use of natural materials like marble, the under-cabinet lighting below the vanities, the addition of medicine cabinets and adjustable shower arms in the showers all reflect a high level of detail to appeal to the design savvy marketplace that values those features.
The large bathroom in the Westcoast option, representing the master ensuite or primary bathroom, has a spa-like ambience with its 12-by-24-inch ‘Silver Shadow’ polished marble tiles on the floor, the wall behind the tub, on the tub apron and extending into the frameless glass shower. The vanity’s ‘Coffee Brown’ marble countertop and eight-inch high backsplash adds an elegant touch to the space that also features a heated floor.
While wide-plank laminate floors seamlessly connect the kitchen and the living areas, premium wool-blend carpets will be soft underfoot in the bedrooms and walk-in closets.
Construction of the master-planned community at Suter Brook Village started in 2005 and when The Grande is completed, there will be about 1,500 homes in the development. The busy retail component, a favourite shopping area for Suter Brook Village and nearby Newport Village residents, features everything from coffee shops to banks, a liquor store and Thrifty Foods.
“The transit is key with proximity to Inlet Station on the Evergreen SkyTrain line and the last stop for the West Coast Express [Moody Centre Station]. You can get on the West Coast Express and be in downtown Vancouver in 20 minutes,” says Nic Jensen, vice-president of sales for the Onni Group.
“Onni will be retaining ownership of the commercial and retail space in the development. This is important: it’s a long-term investment for Onni – we plan to keep our ties in the community,” he says.
The Grande is attracting interest from a range of buyers, including young families and downsizers.
“There are people in the community itself that are interested in The Grande and then there are the people who have lived in Port Moody for many years and love the neighbourhood. They’re happy to downsize to a condo and stay close to the services they are familiar with,” Jensen adds.
The Grande has more than 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space, including a well-equipped gym with steam room and sauna. Other amenities include a pool and hot tub, children’s play room and outdoor playground, a games room with lounge seating and TV, a party room with a chef’s kitchen, and an outdoor barbecue and seating area. Green thumbs can indulge their hobby in the community garden plots that will be available. Residents will also be able to book the guest suite for out-of-town visitors.
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