Calgary January 15, 2024 (PAB) Qualico Communities Calgary will be expanding their presence in Chestermere, Alberta this year with a new community called Bridgeport.
The recently acquired land, located at Rainbow Road and 17th Avenue SE, follows Qualico Communities’ current development of Dawson’s Landing, located just across Chestermere Boulevard. The initial stage of the community will encompass 7 phases over 251 acres of land, 3 major park spaces, a small retail site adjacent to Chestermere Boulevard, and a public-school site. The community will also retain some of its natural beauty by integrating a large part of the existing habitat into the community’s plan. “We will be retaining the 12-acre wetland and will incorporate it into our larger stormwater management ponds, totaling over 20 acres between the two,” explains Mike Anderson, Senior Development Manager of Qualico Communities.
The name of Bridgeport leverages the community’s role as a gateway between the City of Calgary and the City of Chestermere, while reinforcing its relationship with the natural surroundings. “Bridge” maintains Chestermere’s connection to water which, as a lakeside community, is a part of everyday life for city residents, while also representing connections to people and quality places. “Port” stems from the idea that the community will act as the gateway, or “port” to Chestermere. These two elements lie at the heart of Bridgeport’s community design.
While Bridgeport will offer plenty of fun in the summer with Lakeside Golf Club, Chestermere Lake, and the boat launch nearby, “Chestermere really is an all-season city,” says Monica Bilyk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Qualico Communities. “Not only does Chestermere Lake offer access to water activities in the summer, like swimming, waterskiing, and kayaking, but what many don’t know is that it also allows families the opportunity to skate and snowmobile throughout the long winter months.”
Bridgeport’s proximity to established neighbouring communities will also make everyday living easy. Highway 1 and 17th Avenue will provide residents access to East Hills Shopping Centre which includes a Costco, movie theatre, Walmart, and Starbucks, among many other in-demand amenities. A quick drive down Rainbow Road will bring residents to No Frills, a grocery store located just south of the community. “Even closer amenities aren’t far behind,” says Bilyk, who explains that the Bridgeport Commercial area beside Dawson’s Landing is scheduled to have their commercial area underway in the coming months.
With a mix of low and medium density residences throughout the plan area, Bridgeport will offer a housing mix that can accommodate a variety of young families, individuals, and seniors. This diverse offering will provide individuals the opportunity to reside in “one place for a lifetime.”
The project is already underway. Stripping and grading was completed in late 2023 and on-site construction will commence in the Spring. “We’re excited to get things rolling this year,” says Bilyk. “Our groundbreaking will take place once the weather warms up in May or June and will be followed by a community grand opening event in 2025, including Showhomes. We encourage those who are interested in learning more about the community to visit liveinbridgeport.com”.