Jayman Built’s Magna development in University District combines in-house amenities within a walkable community.
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Jolene and John Gordon, retired empty nesters and avid sports enthusiasts who enjoy skiing and cycling, are revelling in the condo lifestyle.
The duo recently sold their family home in Varsity Village, where they’d lived for 28 years, raising their children (they are now grown and living in other Canadian cities) and establishing strong community bonds.
They had been watching the adjacent new community of University District (U/D) sprout and grow and were intrigued by its lifestyle offerings, in particular the green space, the walkability and the amenities.
They had fallen in love with a walkable lifestyle while John was on a work contract in Toronto from 2012 to 2018.
“We lived right off of West Bloor, and we loved walking to virtually everything. We decided that in retirement, we would want our place to have great walkability, and University District was offering that,” says John. Upon their return from Toronto, they initially began a comprehensive renovation on their family home in Varsity to make it “retirement friendly,” but soon realized that it didn’t offer them the lock-and-leave lifestyle that they wanted. The couple also owns a cottage in Invermere, where they vacation for six months of the year, so having a home that offered flexibility was a primary consideration.
So, when their kids flew the nest, they began downsizing and purging and found a penthouse condominium in University District they quite loved and where they have been living for the past year. But, when Jayman Built launched its first multi-family offering in the community this spring, they were intrigued by the project’s unobstructed sight lines, its concrete construction and thoughtful floor plans.
Inspired, they recently signed on the dotted line at Magna, a six-storey, two-building apartment-style condominium project with oversized terraces (the Gordon’s terrace will be almost 2,000 square feet), stunning views of the adjacent park, the mountains and Nose Hill Park and the highest level of finishings ever offered by Jayman — German-built luxury kitchens, smart home technology and the freedom to personalize.
“One of the reasons that we purchased was the concrete construction. This project will definitely hold its value,” says Jolene. The other driver was Magna’s height; at six storeys, it will overlook most of the other buildings in the community, providing unobstructed views of Nose Hill Park and the mountains from the top floor, where their new home, the Frederick Penthouse, will be positioned. Their 2,232-square-foot, two-bedroom home features an additional flex room, a spa-inspired ensuite with free-standing tub, separate dual walk-in closets, a dining room and great room, ideal for entertaining or large family dinners and an expansive kitchen with central island and walk-in pantry. They also have an expansive terrace that provides an additional 2,000 sq. ft. of outdoor living space.
The couple was able to personalize their home, moving an interior wall to expand the size of the flex room and trading the room’s glassed wall for a plaster one.
“It just makes it more private for guests and gives us more room to hang our art,” says Jolene, noting that over the years the couple has acquired a large collection. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the space in a condo because it’s usually more glass than walls,” she says with a laugh.
The couple was already sold on the neighbourhood, as they have been living in U/D for almost a year.
“We love to walk. We cycle everywhere and do errands on our bikes — we have several bikes, so finding a place with bike storage was also really important,” says John.
“In U/D, you can walk to get everything that you need — there’s a wine store, there’s Cobs Bread. In fact, we were able to go down to just one car. We’ve checked out all of the restaurants — Borough Bar & Grill, Charcut, Native Tongues Taqueira and Una Pizza is coming — we are so excited.”
Magna is located just a few moments stroll from U/D’s Central Park with its collection of restaurants and services, including Save-On-Foods, Staples and Shoppers Drug Mart.
The project is a collection of 82, one- and two-bedroom homes and six penthouse-style homes spread across two six-storey buildings with an internal central courtyard designed with infinity-style water features, pergolas and seating. Homes range from 637 sq. ft. to almost 2,600 sq. ft.
“This is the best of the best,” says Jordan D’Haese, sales manager at Jayman Built Multi-Family. Jayman Built picked up numerous accolades this year at both the BILD, Calgary Region Awards and nationally at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association National Awards for Housing Excellence, earning a Grand Award for Builder of the Year-Large Volume, Single-Family and the Design Excellence Award (a title that it was jointly awarded with Douglas Homes).
D’Haese notes that Magna’s concrete construction is a big plus, “reducing noise transfer and allowing purchasers to live in luxury without compromise,” as is the comprehensive suite of sustainable features, including 260 solar panels, triple-pane windows, low-E tempered glass and Built Green certifications.
“The solar panels will generate enough energy to offset the operational electrical costs of the buildings’ common areas,” he says, adding that that the energy costs in each home will also be reduced significantly. Smart home features, and a suite of amenities including storage lockers, bike storage, secure parcel storage and deliver and a pet wash are some of the amenities.
“But really, the greatest amenity is maintenance-free living,” says D’Haese.
Jolene and John can expect to move into their new home toward the end of 2026 and are excited about being able to host their kids and their partners.
“I can’t wait to have the sight line overlooking the park, where I can be preparing in the kitchen and look out and see Nose Hill Park,” says Jolene. “It will be really nice to hang out on the deck, too,” adds John.
THE DETAILS
DEVELOPMENT: Magna, a collection of 82 units of one- and two-bedroom condominium-style homes, along with six penthouse homes. Homes are spread across two concrete six-storey buildings with an internal landscaped courtyard with infinity fountains, pergolas and seating.
DEVELOPER: Jayman Built.
COMMUNITY: University District (U/D).
PRICE: Homes range from the $740,000s to upwards of $2.6 million, including GST.
SHOW SUITE: The show suite is located in U/D’s Discovery Centre, located at 4410 University Ave. N.W. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, from 1 to 7 p.m., and weekends from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed on Monday.