The lowrise development sells for $699 located in 520 West 28th Avenue
Contemporary design, classic features give Lilibet a high-end esthetic
Kathleen Freimond
The Vancouver Sun
The lowrise development at 520 West 28th Avenue offers one-, two- and three-bedroom garden and townhomes in eight buildings on the site
Artist rendering of the Lilibet project by Intergulf Development Group. PNG
Inspiration for the names developers assign to their residential buildings comes from myriad places. For Intergulf Development Group’s recently launched project in Vancouver’s West Side, it was just across the street, the famous Queen Elizabeth Park. In a nod to the importance of the park to the neighbourhood, the Queen’s nickname, Lilibet, was chosen for the 59-home development.
Although “Lilibet” recently garnered a lot of attention when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose the name for their daughter, Shaadi Faris, chief operating officer for Intergulf, says the project was named last year, well before the birth of the Sussex’s second child.
“We did the name and branding before the baby was born – we were inspired by Queen Elizabeth Park, an anchor [amenity] in the neighbourhood, and wanted to emphasize the location. When the baby was called Lilibet it was a happy coincidence, it attracted some attention and a few laughs,” he says.
The lowrise development at 520 West 28th Avenue includes one-, two- and three-bedroom garden and townhomes in eight buildings on the site that occupies almost an entire block in the area that falls within phase three of the Cambie Corridor Plan (CCP).
Homes at Lilibet will have easy-to-live-with colour schemes. PNG
Vancouver City Council developed the 30-year CCP to manage change and growth along the Canada Line, part of Translink’s SkyTrain system. Phase three addresses land use off the arterial roads and allows for townhomes in some existing single-family neighbourhoods.
Following Intergulf’s earlier phase one Cambie Corridor project, Empire at Queen Elizabeth Park, Faris says the company was familiar with the area and was on the lookout for a development opportunity in phase three of the plan.
He says while there is a shortage of townhouses in Metro Vancouver, Intergulf decided to include single-level garden units in Lilibet in addition to traditional multi-level townhouses.
“What we wanted to do was [build homes] where everyone had their own front door – something that is really appealing in beautiful mature neighbourhoods like this – and also provide a mix of home types to appeal to a wider variety of buyers. While townhouses are very desirable, we also considered there are people who don’t want to have to deal with stairs, so we offered this product mix instead of townhouse-only product,” says Faris.
The roof decks range from 300 to 500 square feet. PNG
He points out a diversity of housing forms provides different price points and choices of the type of home people want to live in, noting many potential buyers are residents of the area who want to downsize but stay in the community; or young families and first-time buyers who grew up in the West Side and would like to stay in the neighbourhood but for whom a single-family home is not achievable. Lilibet gives them the option to stay in their community and step into homeownership.
Faris says the building design, by Gateway Architecture, reflects a modern, West-Coast esthetic with a focus on outdoor space and maximizing the views. The buildings, each with five to 12 homes, were planned to retain a beautiful, mature 22-metre-high Deodar Cedar on the site.
One-bedroom homes have patios in the front and back, while the two-bedroom units have a staircase leading to large rooftop decks. The three-bedroom homes have decks off the top-floor master bedrooms. The roof decks range from 300 to 500 square feet.
Kitchens will have Miele appliances, including a refrigerator with bottom mounted freezer and a five-burner gas cooktop. Photo by Supplied /PNG
“The slope of the land toward the downtown core will give residents sweeping views from Vancouver East towards Burnaby to the west and all the way to the North Shore mountains and beyond – those views are incredible,” says Faris.
The landscaped central courtyard with plantings including rhododendrons and hydrangea, incorporates a children’s play area, garden plots for green-thumbed residents, and a fire pit and seating. The surrounding area also has many amenities.
“Queen Elizabeth Park is the star of the neighbourhood, and within a two-to-five-minute walk there is also the Hillcrest Community Centre and the King Edward SkyTrain station. A little farther south is Main Street, where there’s lots of shopping and dining. Another big attraction is the Oakridge Shopping Centre, currently being redeveloped.
“What’s so appealing is that you’re close to these shopping areas – people can go to Oakridge or Main Street where there’s lots of activity, but when they return to this area, it’s much quieter,” says Faris.
Terrazzo floor and wall tiles and double vessel sinks in the ensuite bathrooms. Photo by Supplied /PNG
The interiors at Lilibet combine the clean look of contemporary design with classic features to create a high-end esthetic and easy-to-live-with colour schemes, says Ian Wong, director of interior design at BAM Interior.
The European-inspired cabinetry choices in the kitchen and bathrooms (white or a warm grey) differentiate the two colour palettes, Contemporary and Westcoast.
In the kitchen, the soft-close cabinetry has no visible hardware, with Wong opting instead for J-pulls, shaped grooves for opening drawers and doors. Subtle tone-on-tone variations in the white countertops complement the Miele kitchen appliances, including a refrigerator with bottom mounted freezer and a five-burner gas cooktop. A black matte faucet and shelf mounted on the backsplash add contrast to the palettes.
In the ensuite bathrooms, terrazzo floor and wall tiles, double vessel sinks with wall-mounted faucets and an illuminated open shelf beneath the vanity reflect the hotel and spa-like features the designers included to create a sophisticated ambience.
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Lilibet’s underground parkade includes electric vehicle outlets in every parking stall plus bicycle storage rooms and E-bike charging stations. Some homes have direct access to the parkade. Completion is scheduled for 2023.
Project: Lilibet – Homes at Queen Elizabeth Park
Project address: 528 – 592 West 28th Avenue
Developer: Intergulf Development Group
Architect: Gateway Architecture
Interior designer: BAM Interior
Project size: 59 townhomes and garden homes
Number of bedrooms: One-, two- and three-bedrooms
Price: From $699,000
Sales centre: 3317 Cambie Street, Vancouver
Sales centre hours: 12 noon to 5 p.m. daily, except Fridays. By appointment only.
Phone: 604-879-0030
Website:intergulf.com/lilibet
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