Mirabella West Tower, 1928 Lake Shore Blvd W: Lake Views, Gardiner Behind

Mirabella’s West Tower is the newer half of the twin 38-storey towers Diamante built at Lake Shore Boulevard and Windermere Avenue, where Swansea runs down to the lake. The case for it is easy to make: open lake views, a pool, and a large amenity floor in a building that is only a few years old. The case against it is just as clear once you stand on the sidewalk, because the Gardiner and the rail corridor sit directly behind it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two towers, built in two phases

This site has a long planning history. A previous owner, Carttera, first proposed towers of 48 and 42 storeys; that was cut to two 35-storey towers in an Ontario Municipal Board settlement. Diamante then took the project over and, by its 2017 site plan application, the scheme was two 38-storey towers of about 120 metres each.

The east tower at 1926 Lake Shore and most of the podium went first. The West Tower was phase two, with its own share of parking and roughly 1,600 square metres of amenity space. Construction started in mid-2019, the West Tower was at about 20 storeys by early 2021, and the building registered in December 2022.

Expect to see different suite counts depending on the source. The 2017 plan called for 374 suites per tower, or 748 in total. Skyrise Cities lists 720 for the whole project, and strata.ca shows 355 for the West Tower. The podium is also described differently: UrbanToronto’s 2017 report called it nine storeys holding an above-grade garage, while a later construction trade report described a five-storey podium over three levels of underground parking. What everyone agrees on is that much of the parking sits above street level in the base, so even the lowest suites start well up.

A classical look, not another glass tower

The design is the first thing that sets Mirabella apart from the glass towers across the Humber River at Humber Bay Shores. Scott Shields gave it limestone-coloured precast panels, tapered columns, bay windows and an art deco-style glass and metal canopy over the entrance, with a window wall of dark tinted glass between the precast sections.

It also has a circular drive for pick-up and drop-off, which is more useful than it sounds on a stretch of Lake Shore where you cannot stop at the curb. The marketing promised a small retail space at the southwest corner near Windermere; it is a few shops at most, not a reason to buy here.

Layouts: mostly compact two-bedrooms, and the view decides the price

Across both towers, the plans ranged from one-bedrooms to three-bedrooms, with dens on many of them. The West Tower model suite was a 772 sq ft two-bedroom plus den with two bathrooms, facing west and south, and that is close to what the resale market here looks like now. Most of the current listings are two-bedrooms and two-plus-dens between 700 and 800 sq ft, with a smaller group of larger two-bedrooms in the 900s.

Orientation matters more here than in most buildings. South-facing suites look over Lake Shore to the lake. West-facing suites look toward the mouth of the Humber and the Humber Bay Shores skyline. North-facing suites look over the Gardiner and the railway to Swansea and High Park, which is greener than it sounds but louder. I could not verify ceiling heights from a reliable source, so check the floor plan and the listing for each suite.

Living between the lake and the Gardiner

The best part of the location is across the street: the lake, the waterfront trail and the beaches running east toward Sunnyside. If you run, cycle or walk a dog, this is one of the few new buildings in the city where the lakeshore is a crossing away rather than a drive.

The cost is that the building is squeezed between Lake Shore, the expressway and the rail corridor, with Swansea up the hill behind. Day to day this is a car-friendly address, with the Gardiner right there, and it is not a walk-to-everything neighbourhood. Groceries and errands take some planning. The transit and walkability details are in the data panel on this page. Visit at rush hour with the balcony door open before you decide the noise is fine.

What it costs: price per square foot, fees, and current asking prices

Strata.ca puts the average sold price over the past 12 months at about $903 per square foot. For a 2022 tower with a pool and a lake outlook, that is below what new-construction inventory in the west end has been asking. It reflects the location trade-off and a large supply of similar two-bedroom suites across both towers.

On fees, strata.ca shows about $0.69 per square foot, below its neighbourhood average of $0.76. The current listings on condos.ca work out closer to $0.81 per square foot, and the 700–800 sq ft listings show fees of roughly $600 to $630 a month. Treat that as a starting point. Strata.ca lists hydro, heat, air conditioning and water as not included, so budget for your own utility bills on top, and confirm what the fee covers in the status certificate.

There were eight suites for sale when I checked. The 700–800 sq ft two-bedrooms and two-plus-dens were asking roughly $500,000 to $650,000, and the 900–1,000 sq ft two-bedrooms roughly $960,000 to $1 million. That is a wide spread within the same size band, and it comes down to floor, view and whether parking is included. For what suites here have actually sold for, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Mirabella West Tower

Diamante put the amenities on a large shared level around the 10th floor, which was marketed at over 20,000 sq ft across both towers and included pools, a gym, party and dining space, and an outdoor terrace with a reflecting pool looking north to High Park. Sources disagree on whether there is an outdoor swimming pool as well as the indoor one, so check before you buy for it. In practice you get resort-style facilities without leaving the building, and you share them with the east tower’s residents too.

Jatin’s honest take on Mirabella West Tower

Mirabella West Tower — frequently asked questions

Looking at South Parkdale more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.