Hazelviews’ new “Story of Home” collection includes several well-appointed rental communities opening soon in key Canadian markets. The first two properties have already begun leasing: Story of Brampton Central and Story of Rideau & Chapel. Described as “master-branded, purpose-built rental communities carefully crafted to represent a chapter of a larger story told through architecture and interior design,” the unique concept was brought to life by partners Graziani + Corazza Architects, rla/architecture, and 4té. With some 1,600 rental units currently in the pipeline, more are anticipated to follow.

“Whether it’s young professionals, families, students or empty-nesters, many Canadians are seeing purpose-built rentals as a valuable option for their lifestyle and needs,” said Michael Williams, Head of Real Estate Development at Hazelview. “We’re incredibly proud and excited to launch this collection of newly built rental residences and to provide much-needed new rental supply to urban Canadian centres.”

The concept

Completed in November, Brampton Central and Rideau & Chapel provide a good indication of what the concept is all about. According to Colleen Krempulec, SVP, Brand Marketing & Corporate Social Responsibility, it was inspired by Hazelview’s corporate campaign, “Moving Stories”, and put into motion shortly before the pandemic shuttered the world.

“Story of Home seeks to celebrate the special stories from residents who call our properties home,” she said. “Also, we took a nod from the hospitality industry to develop a master-brand approach to build equity across a collection of properties versus individually branding and marketing each one independently. Looking ahead, additional chapters of the Story of Home will be launched across new cities and provinces, including Toronto and Halifax.”

As Canada contends with an ongoing housing crisis, made worse by COVID-19, 1,600 new rental units is no small sum—but will these “elevated rental homes” benefit the residents who need them most?

“We believe that delivering new supply of rental housing, especially well-amenitized rental housing that has an elevated operating platform, will be welcomed by a diverse range of renters across Canada,” Krempulec said. “We are not catering to renters with higher incomes. We believe the Story of Home collection will attract young families, students, downsizers, and young professionals—and that is what we are seeing in these early days since opening. The properties offer a range of suite types and sizes at market rent. Average household income of those moving in are in the same range as the average household incomes in the markets in which the buildings are located.”

Amenities and programming

Amping up their appeal, residents will also have access to an expansive array of on-site amenities and ‘best-in-class” programming—features that are known to enhance the renting experience for today’s health-conscious, tech-savvy tenants. Amenities include co-working spaces, community gardens, fitness centres, hobby rooms, cafés, juice bars, and indoor-outdoor social spaces.

“The decision to rent vs. own varies for each household,” Krempulec said. “We know ownership is becoming more difficult for many Canadians, and the percentage of people renting is growing. We also believe many choose to rent given the benefits that come with renting such as access to expansive amenities, flexibility to move, community programming at your doorstep, and professional property management that you can rely on for maintenance and repairs.”

Building locations

To determine its locations, Hazelview identified key markets in Canada that were undergoing exceptional growth and that already had the urban infrastructure to support the additional housing.

“Brampton is ranked Canada’s fastest growing city and needs new rental housing options to support its growing population,” said Krempulec. “There, we built a 31-storey building near existing urban infrastructure including access to nearby highways, transit, entertainment, and schools to meet the need of this growing city. Ottawa comprises a diverse mix of empty-nester downsizers, mature and young professionals, and students who prefer renting with lifestyle programming in apartment buildings. With its proximity to the ByWard Market, University of Ottawa, CF Rideau Centre, and downtown Ottawa, this 25-storey building is extremely well located near both urban and green amenities.”

In the coming years, the company looks forward to unveiling the next batch of buildings in the Story of Home collection—in other words, this story isn’t over yet. To follow along, visit: Elevated Rental Residences | Story of Home (mystoryliving.com)

The four pillars anchoring the Story of Home collection:

• Move – invites residents to embrace “movement in all forms”, whether it’s in each property’s fully equipped fitness centre or in the dedicated spin or yoga studios.
• Connect – fosters a “connected community” in the buildings via complimentary Wi-Fi and gathering spaces.
• Nourish – provides residents with convenient access to food and beverages right on site.
• Grow – offers “the space and room to build a story worth telling” through scheduled events with partners including cooking classes and craft beer tastings.