Alex Condo in Belltown has been renamed Volta and will be ready for occupancy in July 2010. The 34 home boutique condo features 27 one bedroom's and 6 two bedroom's and 1 live/work loft. Penthouses are sold as a shell. There are two color selections (Slate and Cognac) for the interior finishes. No model home is available for viewing but the sales center will be opened in April 2010.
One Bedroom $299,950-$750,000
Two bedroom $485,000-$675,000
Penthouses $995,000-$1,095,000
Here are a couple of my observations during the tour:
1.) The building seems pretty solid with good sound insulation. Apparently, they're using a high performance double glazed window system with two panes of laminated glass, four glass layers in total.
2.) The only homes that come with a terrace are on the fourth and penthouse level.
3.) The condo is built on a slope so homes on the first floor are literally on the street level (you see street cars from your windows).
4.) In a couple of the 01 and 02 floor plans, there is a stand alone bath tub which I thought was kind of interesting and unique from other condos.
5.) Penthouses have a skylight to the rooftop deck with a stairway leading out to the private terrace. That was pretty neat.
6.) The floor to ceiling windows are great but I wish they have more operable windows.
There are only 29 parking spaces available in the building so if you need a spot, they cost $25,000 each. Storage is at $5,000. Homeowners dues are at 44 cents per square foot. The only amenity is the roof top deck.
Aesthetically, Volta blends really well with the neighborhood buildings. It seems pretty solid. Most of the floor plans are well laid out. You will probably have to make some trade off on a couple of the homes (eg. bigger bathroom but smaller closet). Volta is quite similar to Pomeroy in some ways. Not all homes come with outdoor space (balcony/terrace) and amenities are limited. It's suitable for someone who does not need amenities and prefers a low maintenance building. If you're an Escala type buyer, this building may not appeal to you. Interior work is still ongoing for Volta so it's hard to see how the whole finished package will come together. Stay tuned for more updates in July!
Related posts:
I have been watching this building being built for the past couple of years. It seems like a really solid construction with concrete and steal. Wendy, do you know if they are going to have any common spaces, like on the roof, for BBQ. The one draw back from my perspective, is that it might be a little noisy at night, with all the nightlife right there….but that might also be part of its appeal. Also, do you know if the building will have air conditioning? Glad to see it moving forward again. Thanks Wendy!
Yes, the only amenity is the roof top deck. Air conditioning will be available from 4th to the penthouse level. I agree, that part of the Belltown is going to be a little bit more noisy but the sound insulation from inside the condo is pretty good.
I was concerned when I saw this building sitting through the fall and winter completely unenclosed, with unfinished wall and roof acting as a funnel for rain and filling wall cavities all the way down to the base of building, not to mention unglazed window openings. The work currently taking place does not appear to be removing all existing GWB and drying out and removing mold from the wall cavities. Needless to say, buyer beware…it’s projects like this that are going to give condo living a bad name again.
Any updates? I’ve been watching this place and construction appears to have stopped – there are still windows missing etc. I don’t see how they can open in July?
No Volta for you – the developers bank (WA First International) was closed by the FDIC week before last. Hence the lack of progress…
Gerry and Michael at Saltaire made a small fortune in the dot.com days by over charging their clients, and providing sub standard work.
They should have known the leverage pendulum would someday swing against them.
Losing this project – couldn’t happen to more deserving guys.
Karma is an amazing thing.