our, yet to be named, Master Plan.” That original project that brought Parker to Nanaimo was named ‘Outlook.’ That was a 36unit five-storey building with underground parking. Parker admits that marketing Outlook was a challenge, as it was located in what was then-considered an undesirable part of the city. We expected it to be a challenge, however – that’s what happens when you’re “the first one to venture in,” he says. “And we were the first,” he says. “I remember when we were originally purchasing the land, I spoke to a few realtors, and they were telling me ‘Don’t buy here, this is the worst place to buy.’ It reminded me of Lower Lonsdale area that went from being a very undesirable place to live to one of the most vibrant waterfront communities in Vancouver.” “I knew that it was just a five minute walk from the waterfront,” he continues, “and had access to all these urban enmities. Given the high cost of living in Vancouver and Victoria, we felt people were looking for alternatives where they could still be connected to those markets. Downtown Nanaimo checked all those boxes with ocean views included.” In the case of Outlook, Parker says the idea of living in that neighbourhood “was a bit of a foreign concept” to the locals, but buyers from the mainland saw incredible value. Eventually, after some hard work from the sales and marketing team, they were able to sell the building out, with about a 60/40 split of Mainland to local buyers. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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