Qwest Condos, 168 Simcoe St: Hydro in the Fee, Large Suites Downtown

Qwest at 168 Simcoe is a building I suggest to buyers who want to walk to the Financial District and are tired of 500 sq ft one-bedrooms. It is a 2000 mid-rise of brick, precast concrete and tinted glass, with suites up to almost 1,900 sq ft and a fee that even includes your hydro. It is also 26 years old, and that is the part to study. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An older mid-rise in the middle of downtown

Qwest sits at the corner of Simcoe and Richmond, a block from University Avenue and a short walk from Queen Street West, City Hall and the Financial District. At 13 storeys, it is modest by the standards of what has gone up around it in the past two decades.

The exterior mixes precast concrete, brick and tinted glass, with rows of French balconies and open terraces at the 9th and 12th floors and on the roof. It was built in the early wave of downtown condos, when developers still borrowed the look of the brick warehouse and office buildings nearby.

The developer is not listed on condos.ca. One listing site names Tridel; I could not confirm that against a Tridel source, so if the builder matters to you, check the original disclosure documents or ask the property manager.

Bigger suites than the new towers

Condos.ca lists suites from about 553 to 1,889 sq ft, from one-bedrooms up to two-bedroom-plus-dens. Many of the larger plans have two full bathrooms. That size range is the main reason people buy here: a two-bedroom-plus-den over 1,000 sq ft is hard to find in a downtown building of any age.

Listings describe open-concept layouts, engineered hardwood and granite counters, though after 26 years the finishes in any given suite will depend entirely on what owners have renovated. Balconies vary from Juliet balconies to proper open-air outdoor space, so check what the specific suite has.

Older buildings like this were planned before the 500 sq ft one-bedroom became standard, and you feel it in the rooms. Bedrooms tend to have real windows and room for furniture, and kitchens are less likely to be squeezed into a hallway.

Because renovations vary so much, two suites with the same floor plan can be very different buys. Ask what has been updated and when, whether permits or board approvals were needed for any flooring or kitchen work, and whether the original windows and heat pump or fan coil are still in place. Those details affect both your comfort and your next few years of spending.

Hydro in the fee, and what that means

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements, heat, air conditioning, hydro, water and building insurance. Hydro in the fee is unusual and valuable: in most downtown buildings you pay your own electricity bill every month, and in a large suite that bill adds up.

The flip side is that the corporation carries the cost of every owner’s electricity, so a heavy user is subsidised by a light one, and the fee itself looks high. Expect the fee per square foot to look higher than at newer buildings nearby, simply because it covers more of your bills.

Parking does not appear in the condos.ca inclusion list. If the suite comes with a space, confirm whether its costs are in the fee or charged separately, and confirm the locker too.

If you are moving from a newer tower, the shift in budgeting is real. You stop paying a separate electricity bill, and in exchange you accept that the board, not you, decides how the building manages its energy costs.

Living at Simcoe and Richmond

This is about as central as downtown gets. You can walk to the office towers on King and Bay, to the theatres on King West, to the Four Seasons Centre and to the shops on Queen West. The data panel on this page covers the subway and other transit nearby.

It is also a busy intersection in the core. Richmond is a major one-way street with steady traffic, and nights and weekends bring crowds from the entertainment district a few blocks south. Ask about noise on a weeknight and a weekend visit, and compare a street-facing suite with one on a higher floor.

Condos.ca lists a pet restriction among the building’s features. I do not have the specific rule, so if you have a pet, read the declaration and rules in the status certificate before you make an offer.

What Qwest costs per square foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $791 per sq ft. That is noticeably lower than newer buildings in the core, and it reflects the building’s age and the larger suite sizes, which always bring the price per foot down.

There was only one suite for sale and none for lease when I wrote this, so there is no asking-price range I can responsibly quote. Inventory here is thin, which is typical of an older building with a high share of owner-occupiers and larger suites.

When you compare Qwest with a newer tower, compare the all-in monthly cost: a fee that includes hydro, heat and cooling against a lower fee plus your own electricity and HVAC bills. The gap is usually smaller than the headline fee suggests.

With so few listings, a specific suite needs careful pricing against recent sales here and in similar buildings nearby. I can pull those through my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Qwest Condos

The package is built for adults who entertain: a lounge with a bar and billiards, a party room, a boardroom and a rooftop terrace with barbecues, plus a sauna and whirlpool. One listing site also mentions an indoor pool, which condos.ca does not list, so confirm it on a visit before you count on it.

Jatin’s honest take on Qwest Condos

Qwest Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at King West, Liberty Village and CityPlace more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.