Colin Darrow has no misconceptions about who should live in The Huntsman, an exclusive high-rise luxury condo building on the western edge of Calgary’s Beltline.

It’s business people – busy folks who appreciate a great lifestyle but don’t want to spend one to two hours of their day commuting.

“This place is perfect, ideal, for people who work out of their homes,” says Darrow, president of Calgary-based real estate development firm Denver Carrington.

“We’re attracting business people, it just makes sense. They can literally walk downtown, or head over to 17th Avenue, or slide out for a quick meeting.

Colin Darrow, right, enjoys the luxury and location of The Huntsman with concierge service from Gerry, left, and an onsite boardroom.

“We have concierge service, so if they’re expecting a package they don’t have to worry. And there’s a condominium boardroom if they need to meet with a client.”

Located at 13th Avenue S.W. near 14th Street, The Huntsman offers two unique worlds.

Inside, the rich woods and leather sofas of the lobby instantly create a feeling of quality and comfort – in the style of a British Hunt Club. Step outside, and embrace a world of restaurants, shopping, and active people who infuse the area with a vibrancy few communities offer.

Darrow says The Huntsman isn’t for everyone. It’s not for those wanting a $125,000 condo or a brand-new shiny $350,000 penthouse suite.

“If you are looking for something between $150,000 and $200,000 and you want it to have all the things that the $350,000 suite building has, then we’re the right place.

“The Huntsman is an Eau Claire lifestyle, at a price you can afford.”

The Huntsman was built as a luxury condo building in 1980 by Jager Industries, which spared no expense in its design. But when the economy soured in 1982, many units became rentals.

Darrow’s company took over The Huntsman from Jager last year and is in the process of converting the remaining 67 units back to condos.

What potential buyers are discovering is exceptional quality and value. The upper suites in the 12-storey building feature enclosed solariums and tiled floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows with unparalleled views created by imaginative floor designs.

“People don’t believe it until they get inside, and realize they can walk around in one suite and have expansive views to the west, the north and the south,” says Darrow. “It was really expensive to design it this way, but our residents are certainly glad the builder went the extra mile.”

Units can be purchased as they exist, or be beautifully renovated by Darrow’s group. (Darrow notes he has been in real estate development and sales for more than 20 years and is excited about The Huntsman’s re-emergence as a full condo project.)

With solid concrete construction, the building is quiet and safe. Each floor has only six units – four that take corner spaces with wrap-around views of the Rocky Mountains, Nose Hill Park, the Bow River Valley and beyond.

As units are upgraded, they include maple or oak cabinets, new carpeting and stainless steel or white appliances, all of which add to the elegant, period atmosphere.

“People say it’s the most expensive building in the Beltline, and it is,” says Darrow. “It deserves to be.” He explains that the ownership group has contributed $100,000 to the condo’s reserve fund, and is pumping money into the building.

The recreation centre, for example, has new equipment, a whirlpool and a huge sauna – “So big it has three walls of benches.” In addition, there are changing rooms, showers, a roof-top paddle tennis court, roof-top gardens, underground storage, 24-hour camera security, underground parking, even underground lockable bicycle racks.

“There is nothing in this building that is missing.”

And the real kicker:

“For the last five units, we’re giving you $2,500 worth of furniture for free,” says Darrow.

Priced from $147,900 to $177,900, the remaining Huntsman units offer four distinct floor plans.

Darrow says the new residents love the comfort of The Huntsman and the buzz just outside its doors.

“You can go out the door and have your choice of any food you want in a few minutes’ walk.”

The area offers upscale and reasonably priced restaurants, fast food, chocolate dessert bars, bookshops, flower shops, liquor and drug stores.

Co-op is building a new store just two blocks away, and there’s even a gas station across from The Huntsman, something that’s almost impossible to find downtown. “It has everything a person is looking for,” he says, “except the traffic on the roads – it’s nothing here compared to what you face in the downtown core.”

Indeed, it’s a great place for home and business.

Call Colin at 403.242.0355 for more information on The Huntsman.