The Yee Hong Garden Terrace in Richmond Hill is aimed at seniors who want to maintain an active lifestyle.
Yee Hong Garden Terrace, Richmond Hill
DEVELOPER
High Street Richmond Hill Inc.
BUILDER
Highstar Building Inc.
SIZE
524 to 1,155 square feet
PRICE
Mid-$200,000s to the mid-$600,000s
SALES CENTRE
9750 Yonge St., south of Major Mackenzie Drive. Open Monday to Thursday noon to 7 p.m.; Friday by appointment; weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m.
CONTACT
Phone 647-300-5088 or visit myyeehong.com
The developers of a new seniors-targeted condo liken it to a cruise ship permanently docked in downtown Richmond Hill.
Residents of the Yee Hong Garden Terrace will have unlimited access to such resort-style activities and attractions as badminton courts, a mah-jong room and rooftop terrace with a seasonal tea room and greenhouse. They will also have health and support services, a restaurant and a selection of retailers within the master-planned project on Yonge Street, between 16th Avenue and Major MacKenzie Drive.
"It's very much an active lifestyle … it's almost like living on a cruise ship," says Alan Hirschfield, president of High Street Richmond Hill Inc., which partnered in the venture with non-profit, long-term care home operator, Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care.
"A lot of the senior services that Yee Hong offers are not always necessary to some of the purchasers, but it's there at such a time when they need them."
For instance, medical care at an on-site clinic will be overseen by Dr. Joseph Wong, who founded the non-profit organization to run this 300-unit development, which will be a condominium equivalent owned by Y H Richmond Hill.
"The idea is to not only treat you when you're not well, but ensure a healthy lifestyle," says Mr. Hirschfield, who adds for couples interested, only one person needs to be a minimum of 55 years old.
"We have a lot of purchasers in their 50s who … don't want to be in the situation where they have to move out of their house to a townhouse, then another place again. This way, they can move once and live an active lifestyle."
To facilitate that, the three-tower complex – composed of 15- and 13-storey towers and a mid-rise – will house indoor and outdoor exercising, entertaining, cooking and dining areas, and be steps from established shops, Asian supermarkets, eateries, churches, parks and Hillcrest Mall.
"It's the first real luxury life lease in the province in a terrific location, which took [Yee Hong] many years to find," says Mr. Hirschfield, who cites other projects mostly on secondary sites, while this one has a high walk score of 81.
"Seniors need this. They don't want to be isolated, they want to be part of the community day to day, and they want to go for quiet walks or be able to go to the shopping centre and not be dependent on people for that and not always have to get into a van."
To alleviate other barriers, the project will incorporate covered drop-off areas for six cars, multilingual signs and wide corridors with handrails.
The one- to two-bedroom-plus-den plans designed by Johnson Chou will be upscale with granite kitchen counters, stainless-steel appliances and porcelain-tile floors, as well as wheelchair accessible and senior-friendly with strategically positioned light switches, food steamers and in-suite monitoring.
"If there's no movement, then [staff] come visit," Mr. Hirschfield adds. "Also, if you're away for four or six weeks, if there's a leak or someone leaves something on, the monitoring system will tell management."
Like all Yee Hong residences, buyers here purchase life-lease plans for exclusive use of their unit for 999 years from Yee Hong. Like a condominium, residents can resell their unit at any time for market value.
Monthly fees will be 60 cents per square foot, plus $30 and $5 monthly for those who own parking or a locker purchased for $30,000 and $5,000 respectively.
First occupancies will begin late 2017.