by PAUL RAYNER

With interest growing in the planned upscale living complex in Boissevain, serious construction has begun.

This past week, the walls began going up for Phase I of the Crocus Hill Estates complex on the northeast side of town. Phase I includes19 private living suites, two common rooms and indoor parking. According to investor Brent Hazlewood, the work has been progressing as it should.

“Everything is pretty much on schedule,” Hazlewood stated. “It was too cold for most of January to get going, but the framers are here and they got started. They’ll keep working away and once everything is closed in, they will be able to work inside.”

The idea of the complex is to offer high quality living suites for adults who want to live in a quiet neighbourhood in a fine community. In a booklet Crocus Hill Estates Inc. made to promote their endeavor, some of the benefits include no home maintenance, including no snow removal or lawn care, no condominium fees and no need to sell a house in the event of an estate sale.

In order to secure a suite, the interested party must put in a down payment of $1,000 as a part of a $40,000 deposit. The deposit money is liquid, however, and is returned should the suite holder leave the complex.

The suites are planned to range in size from about 950 square feet to about 1300 square feet. Rent is $1.20 per square foot per month, with the price ranging from around $1100 to $1400, which includes utilities excluding cable and telephone. Parking is $100 per month.

As each suit is a different size, each has different amenities.

“We have one bedroom ones, two bedroom ones. There is one bathroom, two bathrooms.”

Each suite includes laundry room, kitchen/dining rooms, and extra wide bathrooms. One of the two common rooms includes a fireplace, the other a pool table.

Hazlewood said that one suite has already been spoken for, and they are obviously hoping that the progressing work with help move that along as well.

“We sure hope so,” he stated. “People who live in the Boissevain area are always a little conservative and may not be interested in buying until we build. Once they see it got off the ground, then we will see more interest.”

Investors feel there are a great number of people who could be interested in Crocus Hills. For one, Hazlewood said it could be a great thing to attract people to the community from outside.

“There has been interest from Dauphin, Wawanesa, Reston. There are lots of retired people from Thompson and up north. This would make a great new residence for them. Then there are the people who went out to the oil boom in Alberta. They might want to retire here. Hopefully, there will be lots of people we haven’t met yet.”

Investor Elaine Froese feels there are possibilities not only for Phase I, but Phase II as well. The second phase is to include 23 suites and when connected to the first, a pair of courtyards. It will also include a 3,000 square foot Great Room connecting the two.

“That is exciting,” Froese said. “The Great Room would accommodate 100 people for dinner. It would be a great asset to the community. Retiring boomers will likely be ready for the second phase.”

As well, both say retiring people from this community can take advantage. Although Froese said 30-50% of people in this type of development usually come from outside the community, she said there are a lot of older widowed people in big houses who could benefit from less work and a closer knit community. Putting their houses up on the market, Hazlewood added, could benefit the community by adding more living space for younger families.

Although there is no time frame for Phase II, plans are for the first phase to be completed this summer, ready for the first residents in August.

“Once we get one phase up,” Froese stated, “the other will sell itself. We are selling not only the suites, but also the whole community. Boissevain has a reputation as a very friendly community. We can build on that spirit.”