A “luxury car condo” — as it is billed — is expected to open in Richmond in the summer of 2019, providing auto enthusiasts with a place to fix and ogle their prized possessions.
Hungerford Properties said it is shoring up approvals at city hall to construct Trove, a development featuring 45 drive-up, two-storey car storage units and a clubhouse for luxury car collectors.
“Trove is a private owners club like no other, offering highly secure, individually customized, luxury storage spaces for automobile aficionados and collectors, focused around a community of like-minded individuals with a passion for cars,” noted a news release from the developer.
The units will be built on industrial land and may come with everything one can imagine, including a kitchen sink, save for a bed to sleep in.
The proposed location is 13571 Sparwood Place, near Richmond Auto Mall.
Themed interior packages will allow owners to customize their “hangout,” which will feature the likes of Italian furnishings, wine storage, a sports memorabilia showroom, entertainment space and a personal art gallery.
“We’re really excited about Trove,” said developer Michael Hungerford.
“It is the first of its kind in Vancouver, and with Vancouver as the number one per capita luxury supercar market in North America, we are confident it will be popular amongst buyers and investors who share a passion for cars. As such, Trove will be much more than storage; rather, it will be a network and community of elite car lovers.”
Billed as a “smart real estate investment,” Hungerford notes owners will get access to the “exclusive clubhouse featuring concierge services, a calendar of curated events including coffee and chrome and F1 viewings, as well as access to VIP social events throughout the year.”
Eighty per-cent of the units are already pre-sold at prices starting at $600,000.
Many members of North America’s luxury car industry consider Metro Vancouver the supercar capital of the continent.
In 2016, Business in Vancouver (BIV) reported, according to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, there are more than 2,000 vehicles registered in Vancouver with a cost of $150,000 or greater. There is one supercar per 615 people in Vancouver. The frequency rises to one per 577 people in Richmond and one per 142 people in West Vancouver, noted BIV.
As Trove will be situated on industrial land, “commercial storage” is a permitted use, according to City of Richmond spokesperson Ted Townsend, adding most industrial buildings only require a building permit and not a development permit, which must pass through council. The city, said Townsend, has not received the latter.
According to Hungerford, the stratified units will have telecommunications, gas and water roughed-in, a gas-fired unit heater, ventilation measures, automated glass grade loading doors and a private gated security entrance.
