Kinglet Gardens: A winning community

Kinglet Gardens has been winning hearts and minds of new homebuyers since its debut last fall. Now it’s also earning industry accolades, as the new northwest community from Rohit Land Development won for Best Showhome Parade at the 2023 CHBA Edmonton Region Awards.

But even more than that, Kinglet Gardens offers the kind of community design many want to set roots in.

In the first of what promises to be many wins, Kinglet Gardens won the Best Showhome Parade category at the 2023 CHBA Edmonton Region Awards of Excellence in Housing. The award, the developer says, is a testament to the dedication and creativity of everyone involved in creating the community’s amenities and showhomes.

“Just like a gardener invests time and effort to create a visually stunning garden, Kinglet Gardens has gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional living experience for our residents,” says Leanne Ure, Project Manager at Rohit Land Development.

The win was also a “powerful validation” of the builders: ART Homes, Blackstone Homes, Victory Homes, and Rohit Communities, says Jedidiah Nibre, Senior Marketing Coordinator, Rohit Land Development. “Their dedication created amazing exceptional homes that meet the needs and desires of their customers.”

Nibre also pointed out that the win also underlines the challenges the team had to surmount during the pandemic and the economic disruption that followed. And they were well rewarded, as more than 400 visitors came to the community on opening day last September.

“Kinglet Gardens was our first showhome grand opening since the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew we wanted to make a big impact. We spared no effort, from the branding and signage to the engaging activities designed to connect with the community. Even in challenging times, we remain committed to creating award-winning communities,” Nibre says.

A connected community

But the true beauty of Kinglet Gardens goes beyond just its showhomes, as it has all the features that will nurture a connected, active, invigorating lifestyle for all its residents.

“We have thoughtfully designed the amenities in the first stage of development to provide our residents with a vibrant and enjoyable living experience from day one. We have designed our community to provide an amenity hub that nurtures the growth of our residents.”

“We have included a year-round park with a toboggan hill and inclusive playground, and community garden to create a diverse and engaging community that caters to the needs and interests of our residents,” she adds.
In fact, the playground also won the National Demonstration Site award for Best Design Practices Servicing the Whole Child and the Whole Community.

Ure seems to have the green thumb when it comes to nurturing award-winning communities. She is in fact also the project manager for Woodhaven Edgemont, which won the CHBA Edmonton Region’s Best New Community awards for two consecutive years (2020-2021) and Best Show Home Parade (2022).

“Winning all these awards is a great honor. However, I must admit that what brings me the most joy is seeing our residents come together to create a thriving community in the spaces we have purposely designed,” Ure says.

“As a mom and an engineer, I am always thinking about how I design spaces that will support growth and development of families. At Kinglet Gardens, ‘Where Families Grow’ isn’t just a tagline – it’s a guiding principle that informs every aspect of my design.”

Kids at heart

The playground at the heart of the community is already becoming a social hub for the community, and it has seen plenty of use from residents who have moved in since last summer. Ure says Rohit takes care to bring in in-community amenities like the playground early in the development of their communities as they provide a touchstone for growth for the residents.

“Viewing the park from above, one can appreciate the intention behind its design, which resembles that of a blooming flower,” she says. “The playground serves as the leaves of the flower, providing a fun and active space for children to play and grow. Meanwhile, the community garden acts as the heart of our community, much like the bud of the flower, where community conversations take root just like the fruits and vegetables we grow.”

There is even more to look forward to in Kinglet Gardens. “One of the most highly anticipated additions is the pond, which is set to open later this year,” Ure says. The pond and connecting pathways will provide joggers, strollers, dog-walkers and anyone else looking to enjoy a quiet walk around the community.

“In addition, in the community’s retail centre, the first building is expected to also open later this year,” she adds. “The residents are eagerly anticipating the opening of the neighbourhood retail centre, which is expected to house a range of businesses including a dentist, daycare, quick service restaurants both national and local, and will also serve as the site of a future gas station.”

A community for everyone

Nibre says Kinglet Gardens is enjoying strong sales, and buyers are loving the community’s accessibility, family-friendly features and amenities.

“The design of the community has also received praise. The entrance feature and sense of arrival have been noted as particularly impressive, setting the tone for the rest of the community,” Nibre says. “Our showhome traffic has remained robust, with visitors flocking from across the city and surrounding areas.”

Kinglet Gardens holds an appeal to the widest range of homebuyers as it offers a variety of home types to fit any lifestyle and budget, including single-family homes with front attached garages and with rear detached garages, duplexes and townhomes.

It boasts two types of duplex homes: a front-back model, which features one-half of the duplex with a front-attached garage and the other half with a rear-detached one. This provides an aesthetically pleasing streetscape allowing for more landscaping in the front yards. The community also features standard front-drive duplexes.

On build-out, Kinglet Gardens is anticipated to have around 500 homes appealing to both first-time homebuyers and move-up buyers. In that sense, it is a boutique neighbourhood and with all the amenities in the centre of the community, neighbours can easily get to know each other.

It has the environment to nurture such bonds, Kinglet Gardens is a short drive to the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park that adds to its nature-connected allure.

For more information, visit kingletgardens.com.