| Winnipeg Free Press Sunday April 14, 1996 c6 Area has best of both worlds Convenient location, natural park setting found at Royalwood By Lisa Saunders Free Press Correspondent John Braconnier likes the seclusion. After moving from his St. Boniface home to the new Royalwood Subdivision in St. Vital, he�s noticed quite a difference in his personal surroundings. �I like the way it is closed off everywhere from the railroad tracks to the Seine River,� he says of the subdivision � located south of Bishop Grandin Boulevard between the Seine River and the CPR tracks leading down to Emerson. Uses Lake For those who prefer a landmark reference, it is about two kilometres east of St. Vital Centre. With its man-made lake and fountain, distinct park area, attractive entrance gates and carriage-style lamps, Royalwood is appealing to many homeowners. Braconnier says his family gets a lot of use out of the lake in winter, which he says is ideal for skating. And the park � the natural habitat of which lies untouched � impresses Braconnier as well. He says the area is super-convenient, as it sits about one kilometre away from the Southdale Community club where Braconnier plays hockey and is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from St. Vital Centre. He is also impressed by the way the development company has designed the roadwork, incorporating a lot of interlocking bays instead of straight streets. This, combined with the aesthetic amenities in Royalwood, give the area its characteristic atmosphere, he said. �It�s probably one of the more cosy areas. Ladco has put a lot of landscape work into the place,� he said. The company ensures each property lot will maintain its value by enforcing architectural controls. This means that if a homeowner invests $200,000 in a new home, it will not be assessed at $150,000 a few years down the road. �You want to be sure your neighbour buys one in a similar price range in order to protect your investment,� said Ladco�s marketing manager, David Borger. Property lots in the 485-acre development range in price from $30,000 to $75,000. The lot sizes range from 40-to-75 feet wide to a minimum depth of 120 feet. Braconnier was lucky enough to get one of the 17 lake-front properties, a few of which are still available. Manager of land development, Ken Oblik, said that the natural park area in the incomplete development is its largest selling feature. �Overall, when the development is complete, the linear park system is going to be the big feature,� he said, adding that the bush will be left entirely untouched so as not to disturb the wildlife in the area. New friends Don Gillispie, who has lived in the three year old development since July of 1994, said that he has met a lot of new friends in Royalwood-of both the quadruped and biped variety. �We see deer, geese, ducks and the occasional beaver,� he said, adding that his family�s ties with the community were also made quickly. �We�ve got some really good neighbours. We�ve met a number both next to us and around the community,� he said. Gillespie, who was one of the first residents to build in the subdivision, said that the availability of large property lots in the divisor was one of the main factors in deciding to move into Royalwood. �We were looking for a large yard�this lot in particular gave us what we were looking for,� he said. Gillespie said that he is pleased with the convenience of living in the area, as it is minutes from major establishments. Walking distance �Its only a few minutes to St. Vital, ten minutes to get down to Kildonan Place and a few minutes from there to Costco,� he said. Plus, a video store, Kaufmann Foods and Mac�s are also in walking distance, he added. While over 300 of the lots in the development are currently serviced with electricity, 100 of them are yet to be sold. Phase II will see the company continue to develop the land south of John Bruce Road-the southern cutoff point. In total, 1,900 houses will be built in Royalwood. When the entire development is complete, Ladco plans to have three parks, three schools and one strong community. Oblik stressed that the natural habitat of the area will not be touched throughout the development process, providing an awesome view. �The banks along the Seine have never been disturbed. You can basically take a walk into history. (Ladco) wants to keep it as pristine and natural as they can,� he said. He said that this preservation of wildlife sets the subdivision apart from others in the city, creating a unique selling point. �Other communities have parks, but theirs are man made. Mother Nature made this one,� he said. |