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Interest strong in marina development

Construction of a high-end condominium on the shores of Sylvan Lake could begin this fall.Al Laplante, one of the partners behind Sylvan Lake Harbour, which is developing WatersEdge Condominiums & Marina, said detailed designs for the four-storey building that will overlook two sides of the marina are nearing completion. Once these are in place, selling will begin, he said, with the timelines for construction dependent on sales.
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Workers install fencing around the new marina at Sylvan Lake on Friday. A waterfront condo project is also in the plans for the area which will feature unobstructed views and what the Waters Edge Condominiums and Marina call docominiums.

Construction of a high-end condominium on the shores of Sylvan Lake could begin this fall.

Al Laplante, one of the partners behind Sylvan Lake Harbour, which is developing WatersEdge Condominiums & Marina, said detailed designs for the four-storey building that will overlook two sides of the marina are nearing completion. Once these are in place, selling will begin, he said, with the timelines for construction dependent on sales.

However, interest in the project has been strong, said Laplante, with prospective buyers from Central Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton stepping forward.

In addition to an initial building with 40 suites, the project contemplates a second phase with 15 units in another building.

The marina was dredged and expanded this winter, with reconstruction of the site about 95 per cent complete and expected to wrap up by June 1, said Laplante. The process required that the marina be dammed and drained, and more than 200 fish had to be caught, weighed, measured, identified and returned to the lake.

The 174 boat slips in the new marina have been enlarged to accommodate bigger boats, and a security system has been installed. Also being added is an automated lift system that will enable disabled people to board boats.

The marina land has been registered as a condominium, allowing for private ownership of the slips. Such a “dockominium” is a first for Alberta, said Laplante.

“Each dock owner or slip owner will physically have title to that chunk of land in the lake,” he explained. “They have title and they can buy and sell it as they see fit.”

Fifty-five of the slips are being held back for the owners of the residential condominium, said Laplante, with the rest offered for sale to the public. About half have been sold, he said, with those remaining having a starting price of about $58,000 — more for those with power.

The WatersEdge Condominiums & Marina sales office is now open weekends at the marina site. Laplante expects activity there to increase with the return of warm weather.

“We’ve had phenomenal interest, both on the docks as well as the land condos.”

hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com