I had the chance to visit Florera yesterday and took a hard hat tour and spoke with Linda, the sales manager. Here are some tidbits from our conversation:
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- The model unit will not be available for viewing until the end of the month. The project is divided into two phases with the first phase consisting of 59 units scheduled for move-in in September. Phase 2 will have 25 units and won't be ready until fall 2008.
- The lobby will feature an 8 foot waterfall using recycled glass. Seven retail spaces will occupy both phases. There will be a central broiler for the building so you won't be seeing any hot water tank in your unit.
- So far, 30% of phase 1 units has been sold with one bedroom plus den units being the most popular floor plan. Besides the central garden courtyard, a club room and rooftop garden / recreation area will also be available. Some of the 2nd level units have their own private patios looking out to the courtyard which will have plants and bushes.
- One interesting thing to point out is that elements of the sidewalks, bus stop and bike racks will be designed by local artists.
When asked on what are the selling points for Florera, Linda Gordon, sales manager responded:
Linda and I talk shop in the still under construction Florera garage :-)
- Industry leading and innovative green design and LEED seeking certification
- Location, location, location
- Construction quality such as exceeding the city code to provide extra insulation for the floors and walls (using air gaps between adjoining units) which will give the building a great sound insulation.
Overall, Florera seems to be well built and undeniably in a great spot of the attractive Green Lake neighborhood. The actual location is very close to the lake though a little further than just across the street (I timed it and it took about 5 minutes to reach the Green Lake walking path due to the 3 street crossings to reach the park). Also, if you're expecting a lake view from your living room, some of the Northwest facing units may get partial views but the foliage from the trees and distance to the lake make it more of a Lake location property than lake view property.
The prices are comparable to Belltown condos so they're not cheap but on the other hand, there doesn't seem to be nearly as much new inventory in Green Lake as Belltown and Midtown. If you're considering purchasing, I'd recommend you look at the historical performance and pricing of the Green Lake Condominiums to see if the numbers pencil out for your favorite Florera unit.
Photo slideshow for Florera
Technorati Tags: Florera, Green Lake condos, Seattle Condos, Seattle Real Estate, LEED certification, Pryde & Johnson, Pryde Johnson
