Kits lifestyle at 'half the price'

Steveston: Three realtors selling it chose to move into London Landing

LENA SIN
Province

London Station is part of Phase Two of the London Landing master community in Steveston. The suites feature nine-foot ceilings and bamboo flooring. Photograph by: Photos by Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province

The kitchens at London Station come with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Photograph by: Photos by Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province

Most of the condos at London Station are two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. Photograph by: Photos by Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province

The Facts

What: London Station (London Landing's Phase Two), 22 condos.

Where: 6233 London Road, Richmond.

Developer: Oris Development

Sizes: One, 495-sq. ft. one bedroom left; two bedrooms from 890 sq. ft. to 1,225 sq. ft.

Prices: One bedroom from $269,900; two bedrooms from $449,900 to $638,800.

Open: Presentation centre at 12235 No. 1 Road, Richmond, open Mon. to Fri,, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sat. to Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Display suite at 6233 London Rd. open only Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

More info: www.londonstation.ca

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Driving south along Richmond's No. 2 Road, you'll eventually hit a dead end. Turn the corner and you'll find yourself at the foot of the Fraser River, surrounded by unspoiled coastline, boats and the smell of freshly baked bread.

This picturesque Steveston location might sound quaint, but it also happens to be one of Richmond's newest residential developments.

London Landing is a master-planned community by Oris Development that has been eight years in the making. It includes single-family houses, townhouses and condos. The community is getting close to completion with the sale of London Station, a mixed-use four-storey condo building.

There are 22 units in London Station, which is Phase Two of the London Landing development.

Standing on the rooftop patio tiled in thick granite, you understand why buyers have been drawn here: The North Shore mountains are a backdrop for a large swath of farmland preserve right next door, ensuring that views will not be obstructed by future development.

On a clear day, you can see Washington's Mount Baker and Puget Sound to the south and the Gulf Islands to the west. And, of course, the Fraser River is literally just outside your door.

The developers and realtors involved in London Landing believe in it so much that two developers and three realtors now live there.

"This is where we want to hang our hat and we can say with confidence it's a good place to live," says marketing manager Sean Lawson of RE/MAX. "I've got two young girls and they go to school at the French immersion just up the street here and it's neat to hop on the bike and drive them to school, just half a mile along the waterfront."

The development is in a heritage area of Richmond born in the late 19th century.

There are two heritage houses on site, including one in which Oris developer Dana Westermark lives, as well as the London Heritage Farm. Charles E. London built the farm in the 1890s and later established a post office, general store and a small wharf named London's Landing to get supplies and ship their milk and produce to New Westminster.

In homage to the historic area, which was also home to fishers and canners, London Station's architecture echoes a nautical and industrial feel. The exterior features corrugated steel, thick timber columns concrete and glass.

Most of London Station's condos are two-bedroom and two- bathroom units starting at $449,900.

Lawson says buyers have come from Vancouver and central Richmond, attracted to the lifestyle combined with the affordability.

"We're probably half-priced of something equivalent in Vancouver. So for $459,000 you get a 1,050 sq. ft. two bedroom, two bathroom [condo], two parking spots and a big deck with views."

The suites have bamboo flooring, granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms and a geothermal heating and cooling system.

When completed, Lawson says London Landing will offer a lifestyle comparable to that of Vancouver's Kitsilano and Granville Island.

"It gives you an equivalent lifestyle to being in Granville Island and the Kits area with the biking, running and kayaking. I mean, if you have a boat, you can moor it right here and you can walk down and sail off to the Gulf Islands," says Lawson.

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