It is the Friday calm before the Saturday and Sunday storm of activity at 2017’s Luxury & Supercar Weekend in Vancouver. Michael Hungerford is taking a bit of time away from his day job as a partner in Hungerford Properties, a real estate development company, to create The Trove Club: a unique condominium complex located near the Richmond Auto Mall. It will provide luxury car owners an opportunity to store several of their vehicles, and also act as a hub for all kinds of activity, all specially designed for and dedicated to car aficionados.
“In my travels,” says Hungerford, “I just never saw anything like this project. I thought a place where you would not only store cars, warehouse them, but actually be part of a car community, would be great. There are lots of car clubs, but none with an actual social hub.” The idea was initiated by Hungerford’s home garage, where his own luxury vintage cars were stored, but where, also, his four kids and their bikes meant the cars were exposed to nicks and scratches, at the very least. “I just thought individually-owned units in a great urban location, with a clubhouse and curated activities, was the answer,” says Hungerford. The resulting Trove Club will be the first of its kind in the Vancouver area.
Set to cut the ribbon in 2019, it will be a 45-unit, two-storey complex; car apartments will range in size from 1,000 square-feet to 2,500 square-feet (mezzanine included). There are four auto-themed design packages: Maranello, Goodwood, Detroit, and Stuttgart. Those options, says Hungerford, “are really to set an example of what can be done with the individual spaces. Custom options are of course available.” There will be two vehicle elevators, plus a passenger elevator, and the shared clubhouse is set to feature a kitchen, private dining, and an expansive lounge. Individual owners will have access, with their vehicle, directly into their own unit, and the entire complex will be secured 24/7.
“There are a lot of great cars in Vancouver, and this is increasingly so in our time,” says Hungerford. “There is a great passion here for the automobile, so we wanted to make a place that is much more than a storage facility. It is a community, where like-minded people can gather and share their passion for the automobile.” He sees that the automotive industry is experiencing an evolution, which is why The Trove Club will include every conceivable outlet for new technologies, including electric car recharging stations. This all comes at extra expense to the developer, but, as Hungerford notes, “we are catering to the future of the car, no doubt about it.”
