Encore West Grove Estates brings a family-first approach

If ever there was a community built on family values, Encore West Grove Estates would certainly be at the top of the list. This southwest community by Bri-mor Developments has all the ingredients for a lifestyle that centres on a safe, caring and nurturing environment – they have also found a way to make this affordable too.

A peaceful enclave surrounded by thick stands of aspen, crisscrossed by idyllic pathways and greenspace, and a location rich in amenities, Encore West Grove Estates certainly has it all. Encore especially benefits from the success of its West Grove Estates and The Rise at West Grove Estates sister communities that already has amenities in place and neighbours ready to meet.

In fact, when Colin Pon and Cindy Chang heard about the plans for the community, they knew that this would be the perfect place to call home and where they can raise their four young children in relative peace and security.

“We were attracted to Encore due to schools in the area, shopping, West Side Recreation Centre, green spaces and outdoor family amenities,” Colin says. “There are lots of parks, outdoor recreation facilities and walking and jogging trails.”

Colin and Cindy were the first to buy a home here, says Cedarglen Homes area manager, Kimberley Holstein, and they were quickly followed by more like-minded families.

“We’ve been averaging two to three sales a week through the fall and winter, it reminds me of the heady days of the early 2000s,” Holstein adds. In fact, almost a third of the first release of 65 lots have sold.

“Encore West Grove Estates is getting a lot of attention for sure. It goes back to the conception of developing new homes on Calgary’s west side that are nestled in ex-isting surroundings,” Holstein adds.
Karun Gautam also brought his family here because the community fits their lifestyle. Recent immigrants from the UK, Karun says he and his wife thought this was the community they can set roots in and raise their two kids. “We really love that there are all these schools nearby, and it is a well-designed community that we can already enjoy.”

Affordability – the best in the sought-after southwest – is key in its appeal and it is largely due to the new, more feasible lot designs with functionality at its core that Bri-mor designed for this latest phase of its hit West Grove Estates community.

Bri-mor Managing Director, Aleem Dhanani says there is nowhere else in the entire west side of Calgary where young families can find a semi-estate home from the high $600,000s including GST.

The new 32- and 34-foot lots are a perfect fit for the family-friendly homes being built by the exclusive homebuilder in Encore – Cedarglen Homes.

“Cedarglen has new ingeniously designed homes offered – including the new three-storey model – that lose none of the liveable space and retain their value,” Dhanani says.

New show homes are slated to open in the early summer that will reflect the total lifestyle appeal of the community. “We will have our brand-new models, the Lacombe 3ST 24 and Clairmont 26, as the show homes and we’re very excited for people to see what they offer,” Holstein adds.

The Lacombe 3ST 24 is one of Cedarglen’s popular three-storey models and the Clairmont 26 is a stylishly functional two-storey semi-estate model. “Our three-storey homes have been getting a lot of attention, and we’ve sold two of them in Encore already.”

She says they were able to tweak most of their designs to suit the needs of today’s families. “We get a lot of buyers who work in oil and gas, but instead of going to an office in downtown, a lot of them have turned to consultancy and work from home. Our new designs reflect this new need with more emphasis on home office spaces, and lots of room for young families to grow.”

Colin says the singular style of homes Cedarglen offers in Encore was only part of their decision to settle here. “We were also attracted to Encore due to schools in the area, shopping, West Side Recreation Centre, green spaces and outdoor family amenities. The commute to downtown and the expanded Stoney Trail make it easier access to the South side and close to the mountains for hiking and skiing.”

Creating this remarkable environment for families to flourish was all part of the plan in creating this community, Dhanani says.

Bri-mor has nurtured the entire West Grove Estates community to fruition, putting in place everything that was needed to bring out the full lifestyle potential of living in the southwest. There are a multitude of schools nearby, a diverse choice of restaurants, groceries and boutique shops that are under five minutes away. And within the community itself, life is ready to be lived – and enjoyed.

There are nearly eight acres of greenspace throughout the whole West Grove Estates area that Bri-mor has designed to strengthen familial and community bonds and connect its three distinct developments.
There is a junior football field, and a skating rink that has become a focal point of social life in the community this winter. There is a reflective park that gives dog walkers and joggers a moment of contemplation, and the ravine and natural reserves surrounding it along with thick stands of aspen complete a close-to-nature character.

Speaking of character, Bri-mor has retained a distinct look throughout the divergent phases by maintaining strong architectural controls.

“A key strength of West Grove Estates has been its strict architectural controls which help maintain and preserve value,” Dhanani says. “We have worked to maintain the same inspiration as the previous phases.”

That being said, he says they have approved two new home styles in Encore – Transitional and Modern Farmhouse – which allows for homeowners to “express themselves through modern styling while still tying visually to the current architecture found in our neighbouring communities of West Grove Estates and the Rise at West Grove Estates.” For the first time, white exteriors were allowed in Encore which has been well-received by buyers.

Dhanani also points out that since Encore is just the latest phase of the greater West Grove Estates development, buyers are moving in to an already established community.

“The community is largely fully developed with all the amenities like playgrounds, parks and pathways already there for everyone’s enjoyment,” Dhanani says. “There’s nothing else in the southwest quite like it in terms of affordability and amenities.”