In the Q&A below, Lorne Segal, the president and founder of Vancouver-based Kingswood Properties, speaks about Redbridge, the company’s latest waterfront master-planned community in Squamish.
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Lorne, let’s start by introducing Redbridge. What is this project and where is it located?
It is located at the heart of Squamish. Redbridge is a waterfront master-planned community by our team at Kingswood Properties. It’s a multi-phase community that will add 435 new condos and townhomes to the City of Squamish accommodating roughly 1,000 new residents.
We selected the site many years ago due to its spectacular water and mountain views and its location between the Stawamus Chief and Mamquam Channel. We felt Redbridge could offer adventure, discovery and connectivity with nature while providing modern interiors and resort-style amenities that put sustainability and wellness at the core.
What are we learning about who is buying at Redbridge and the contributions we can expect these folks to make to the growth of our city and region?
We have been pleasantly surprised at the overwhelming interest from a wide range of buyers in Redbridge including young professionals, families, active retirees and people from around the region looking for a vacation home. In fact, we have accelerated our sales process for the first phases this summer to match the level of excitement from the market.
We dug into the buyer data of our initial phases and learned interesting information that tells us something about where Squamish is heading. For example, 31% of the buyers so far are a family with a child at home, while the largest groups of buyers come from Squamish and Sunshine Coast/North Island areas — meaning the project is resonating with locals or people from the region.
Nearly 58% of buyers are in their 20s and 30s. So, with the project adding hundreds of people to the community, it appears that many of them are going to be young people, or families, that already have roots in the area and are probably more likely to be investing in businesses, working in town and raising families here.
You’ve said you see Redbridge as an important part of your legacy and that of Kingswood Properties. Why is this project so important to you?
You’re right. As a family business, Kingswood Properties and related companies have been around since 1946. We’re proud of our portfolio of projects, communities and buildings over the decades, but Redbridge has truly been a personal labour of love.
I honestly believe that Squamish is the most beautiful community in the country, and possibly the world. We have shaped and tailored Redbridge to seamlessly fold into the community’s natural surroundings. People want to live in Squamish because of its natural beauty, outdoor activities and sense of adventure. We have shaped Redbridge to meet those needs and desires and I’m excited to see how the emergence of the community will complement and support the growth that we’re already seeing in Squamish and the Sea to Sky corridor.
What aspect of the community seems to be resonating with buyers?
For many, the opportunity to stay in Squamish or relocate here to raise their families or start a business has been the biggest motivating factor. On the other hand, many buyers are in the second half of their lives and are looking for adventure, activity and an exciting lifestyle in a beautiful place.
Additionally, we have made wellness, sustainability and health central to our concept with the community. For example, a major part of the community is Base Camp. It’s a 20,000-square-foot amenity building that includes a yoga studio; Zen Garden; coworking office area; Scandinavian spa that features such as an infrared sauna; outdoor hot and cold plunge pool; communal indoor and outdoor dining spaces among other features that we feel promote a sense of activity, wellbeing and health.
Moreover, Base Camp includes Canada’s first Eco-Movement Lab. It’s a fitness centre with zero emissions impact on the environment. It actually includes treadmills that generate power rather than consume energy.
We will also be building a foot/cycling bridge to connect the Redbridge community to Downtown Squamish without the need for a vehicle. That’s also our namesake.
Are you sensing that our experience with the pandemic over the last year and a half has made living in a community like Squamish more attractive?
Squamish has always been a playground for people from around the region to spend their weekends. Amid the pandemic, many people gained the ability to work remotely, and we expect many leading companies will approach business and staffing with much more flexibility moving forward.
The time is now for people to reassess their lifestyles and reconsider where they want to live and work. It doesn’t get better than Squamish.
Also, given what I mentioned about our buyers, we expect many Redbridge residents will be relocating here or starting new businesses in town, and we’re pretty excited about Squamish’s economic future.
This is a sponsored feature.
Alex says
All very nice, even a footbridge to downtown. No need for a car eh! Mr. Segal obviously hasn’t carried a couple of grocery bags too far recently.
And while on the subject of a car , there was no mention of a left turn into or out of the complex from Hwy 99.
Goaliedave says
Getting your developments and bridges mixed up. The car bridge goes through the existing development not Redbridge, and is paid for by DOS
Alex says
t seems to me that there is a vital point of any advert is to ensure that the reader is able to figure out where the development actually IS. So , if I have got the wrong place, then someone has done a lousy job.
If a footbridger to downtown is to be built the it seems reasonable to assume that the site is on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. Since the photo shows buildings butting onto Hwy 99 then entry onto 99 can only be with a right hand turn; or up to the hospital or coming out by the Adventure Centre.
or have I got it all wrong and maybe you can explain it more clearly for the stupids.
goaliedave says
2 different developments, 2 different bridges. There’s been lots in the media about it, just do some googling to catch up.