Stoughton's newest rental housing development was built with the intention of keeping long-term residents of the town at home. Occupancy is set for September 1, 2014, according to one of the project's local investors, Lyle Hall.
Overlooking the town's picturesque Taylor Park and pond, Taylor Park Estates "is built on the best possible location in town," says Hall. "It's a five-minute walk from downtown and it's a very quiet area in a great location. The other location we looked at was across the highway, but who wants to cross a busy highway?"
This attention to local detail is intended to appeal to residents of Stoughton who may want to sell their existing homes and downsize.
"We're targeting baby boomers, people 50-plus," says Hall. "A lot of them go south for the winter and it's a pretty nice option to be able to just turn the key and go. The investors are very excited for Stoughton. When we went ahead with this project, our concern was to keep people in Stoughton. It's only a half and hour from Stoughton to Weyburn or Estevan, and we thought having something like Taylor Estates would keep people here."
The four-story, 18-suite development has three floors of housing with one-and two-bedroom suites. The ground floor parkade was built on the first floor instead of underground "for rain reasons", according to Hall and is fully heated and also equipped with heated floors. This enables first-floor residents to enjoy a view that is 10 feet from the ground, says Hall.
The air-conditioned building also has an elevator and every suite has a balcony, many of which are large wrap-arounds. In addition to enjoying amenities in their suites, Hall says that there is also a common room with a full kitchen that can be booked for larger gatherings, as well as a fully-equipped guest suite for visitors that residents can reserve.
Speaking on behalf of the Town of Stoughton, Chelsea Schindel says of the project: "We did it because we thought there was a need for this type of housing. It's maintenance-free and it enables people to continue to live independently in the community where they've lived all their lives. It has the advantage of a condo, without the responsibility."
"Without the oil boom, it may not have happened," Schindel says. "That's not why we did it. But this may have the added effect of freeing up some housing."
"The planning has been going on for a couple of years, but the construction began about a year ago," says Schindel. "The suites are now ready and cleaned. We should be expecting tenants in early September."
Sandra Mitchell of Taylor Park builders, Bridge Road Construction [Winkler, Manitoba], says, "Taylor Park Estates is changing the sky way in Stoughton. It's a progressive community and we at Bridge Road are very pleased to be presenting an open house in the upcoming weeks, as we continue to turn vision into community."
Hall says that while some units are already rented, there are still some available. Tenants sign a one-year lease and rent is based on the unit's square footage. "The rent covers pretty well everything except phone and internet," he says.
"It's a great project for the town," says Hall. "It opens up a lot of options for people in the community who are in retirement mode."
"It's a lifestyle, not just a place to live."
To learn more about Taylor Park, including floor plans, visit www.bridgeroad.ca.
Rental enquiries: Please contact Lyle Hall at: (306)-457-2910 or (306)-421-0187.
