New Phase Construction
Three of our best-loved communities—Bayside, Bayview and Sage Hill Crest—are poised for expansion, with new phases starting construction this month.
“It’s a pretty big season for us, in terms of growth,” says Brendan McCashin, director of land development at Genesis Land. “We’re starting all the underground work for Phase 4 of Bayview, Phase 14 of Bayside and Phase 11 of Sage Hill Crest.”
The underground work includes putting trenches under soon-to-be roads, installing sewer lines and water lines, and making sure each newly created lot is hooked up to those lines. According to McCashin, these steps will take between four to eight weeks to complete, depending on the size of the phase.
“Following the completion of the underground construction, our roads contractor will come in,” explains McCashin. “They’ll do all the concrete work first—so, curb, gutter and sidewalks. After that, they’ll pave the roads. Then we’ll get utilities like power, gas and telecom done, too, before the homebuilders come in to do their work.”
With an aim to release new lots to Genesis Land’s partner homebuilders sometime this fall, McCashin and his team are excited about the new products, improvements and amenities that are coming to each new phase.
“In Airdrie, Phase 4 of Bayview will consist of a mix of laned single-family homes and front-drive homes,” says McCashin. “This phase will also complete the creek on Bayview’s south side, as well as the pathway connection from 24th Street right into Bayview Park and the canals.”
In the neighbouring community of Bayside, meanwhile, Phase 14 will include front-attached single-family homes and bungalows, a brand-new park and a bike pump track, the latter of which will open in 2023. In addition to these exciting Phase 14 developments, Bayside residents can also expect something new in Phase 12, with the opening of a cool, rubber-surfaced playground slated for early this summer.
Last, but certainly not least, is Phase 11 in the northwest Calgary community of Sage Hill Crest.
“This is our final phase for Sage Hill,” says McCashin, adding that Phase 11 will have a wide mix of product, including semi-detached homes, and larger, west-facing front-drive homes that will back on to the community’s ravine.
“There’s also a pathway being constructed behind those west-facing homes, through the ravine, and it will connect to the south part of the community,” says McCashin.
Storm Pond Perfection
As construction of Phase 11 gets underway in Sage Hill Crest, another significant project within the community will also be in the works: cleaning up the storm ponds.
Designed to collect and hold stormwater runoff before it reaches our natural waterways, storm ponds are a common feature in many of Calgary and Airdrie’s new communities. Not only do these ponds help to reduce localized flooding, they also work to improve the overall quality of our water systems by allowing for sediment and pollutants to settle out before being released into rivers, creeks and streams.
There are three storm ponds in Sage Hill, and they, along with two storm ponds in the northeast community of Saddlestone, will be undergoing a thorough cleaning in the coming weeks.
“It’s a big job,” says Bill MacDonald, the development manager at Genesis Land who is overseeing the project. “It’s almost like emptying a bathtub. Essentially you have to get rid of the water that’s already in each pond, and then you go in and dredge it with specialized equipment, scooping up all the residue and sediment that has formulated in there for several years.”
The ponds in both communities will take several weeks to clean before they can be handed over to the City of Calgary in the fall.
“Ultimately, like with any pipe or road or sidewalk that Genesis Land builds within our communities, the City will own the storm ponds,” says MacDonald, who goes on to explain that once the development of a new community is complete, everything related to infrastructure gets handed over to the municipality, which then takes responsibility for its management.
“In order to hand the storm ponds over, the City wants them in squeaky clean, finely tuned working condition,” says MacDonald, adding that the end result of the project will be more pristine, betting-functioning ponds—which will, in turn, enhance the appeal of both communities.
Celebrating Neighbours
While new phase construction and storm pond cleanup are both huge endeavours, at Genesis Land, we’re all about finding a balance between working hard and taking time to gather with friends, family and neighbours for some fun.
That’s why we’re very excited to be marking National Drive-In Movie Day by partnering with Genesis Place to host a drive-in movie event in Airdrie. This will be our second year of hosting the event, which will take place on June 6 in the Genesis Place parking lot.
“Genesis Land is bringing in all the equipment, including the big screen,” says McCashin, who adds that the event will be a triple feature, starting with Sing 2 at 4 p.m., Jungle Cruise at 7 p.m. and Ghostbusters: Afterlife at 10 p.m. Cost of tickets is $20 per vehicle, with proceeds going to Community Links, a local charity that helps to ensure individuals and families in Alberta’s North Rocky View Region have access to the programs and supports they need.
Of course, our community events don’t stop with the movies. Later this month, on June 18, Genesis Land will be marking Calgary’s Neighbour Day with a very special event in Saddlestone.
“Given that we’re just wrapping up our community of Saddlestone—we’ve sold the last lots and Genesis Builders Group is building our last homes there—we really wanted to thank the community and celebrate this Genesis Land milestone with a block party on Neighbour Day,” says McCashin.
Indeed, with more than 900 homes built in Saddlestone over a ten-year development process, there is a lot to celebrate about this remarkable community. Featuring food trucks, music and even a pop-up market highlighting local businesses, the Neighbour Day event is taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park on the south end of the community (130 Saddlestone Grove N.E.).
What better way to enjoy the warmer weather and build community spirit than by spending time outside with neighbours and friends?
Find out more about all of Genesis Land’s upcoming events and projects on our website.
