Aldergrove is nearing the completion of a serious facelift with the development of the new Aldergrove Town Centre.
The master-planned community by Delta鈥檚 Janda Group is replacing the old Aldergrove Mall, which opened in 1977 and saw declining use through the decades, leaving most of the decrepit structure boarded up for many years.
Aldergrove Town Centre is a new hub in Aldergrove鈥檚 downtown core with four mixed-use buildings ranging from six to 10 storeys.
Designed to create a community gathering place at the intersection of Fraser Highway and 272nd Street, the modern-designed community will feature a total of 456 condo-style residences of varying sizes. Residential units in four of the five buildings making up Aldergrove Town Centre are sold out, with the final building, The Hart, offering 158 residences. These units are now open for registration for pre-sales.
Aldergrove realtor Jodi Steeves is excited by the potential this project offers.
鈥淲e did tons of surveys back before this started,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone said they wanted a place they could go where they could have a sit-down coffee, the pretty little lights and places to pick up a gift for a friend and a place to come together. The demand is huge.鈥�
While she says Aldergrove offers these types of experiences already, they aren鈥檛 all in one central, walkable location. She feels Aldergrove Town Centre will deliver on that desire residents have to shop, eat, and gather close to home.
In addition to having residential units in the development, there is a multi-level parkade, plus commercial spaces are also for sale. However, the prices on these retail locations is on par or higher than those in Fort 91原创, rather than Aldergrove and so far, there are no known businesses who have taken the plunge, she noted.
鈥淭hey start at $1.16 million,鈥� Steeves explained of the commercial options. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the entry level for commercial. But Fort 91原创 is less expensive than this.鈥�
Janda Group, which did not respond to repeated requests for an interview, may be hoping the need for shopping in Aldergrove will push business owners into purchasing space.
A benefit to those already in the community is that property values around the new development should rise in response to the restoration of the downtown area, according to Steeves.
鈥淭here鈥檚 tons of construction. It鈥檚 just blowing up,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to bring the community together. I鈥檓 estimating a five- to 20-per-cent increase in real estate prices. It鈥檚 going to have a large impact generally.鈥�
She said this type of increase is common when large developments are established in areas where community cores are lacking. In addition to the shopping that is hoped for in the centre, a two-level public child care centre is being built in the middle of the development.
鈥淧eople see the benefit of being super close and super walkable,鈥� Steeves said of the project. 鈥淓ven as a realtor, I鈥檓 seeing the benefit of being in there.鈥�
She鈥檚 considering setting up her office in one of the retail spaces that make up a total of 27,500 commercial square feet. Fort 91原创 is an example she points to, of how Aldergrove Town Centre could create positive change in the core of the community.
鈥淛ust look at Fort 91原创, for example, how that has taken off in relation to other areas of 91原创,鈥� she said.
With shopping being a key concern for many Aldergrove residents, the central plan with ground-level shopping and upper-level living of Aldergrove Town Centre could be attractive to many first-time home buyers, young families, and single individuals who value a more urban lifestyle where a coffee shop is an elevator ride away.
Like most condo-developments, there is a shared community space available for larger gatherings but full details aren鈥檛 available on the Janda Group website.
