195 St. Clair Ave W: A Seven-Suite 1978 Boutique Building at Poplar Plains

195 St. Clair Avenue West is a building most people walk past without knowing it is a condominium. It has only seven suites, each around 1,600 sq ft, in a three-storey building at the top of Poplar Plains Road. Public information about it is thinner than for almost any building I review, so this page is as much about what to ask as about what I found. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One of a pair

This building and the eight-suite condominium at 265 Poplar Plains Road were built by the same company, Combination Land Consultants, and registered on the same day, 3 October 1978, as YCC-421 and YCC-422. They are mapped next to each other near the corner of St. Clair and Poplar Plains. Together they make up 15 suites of large, house-scaled homes on one site.

When two small corporations are planned together, they often share something physical: a garage, a ramp, a driveway, a garden or building services. That is normally governed by a shared facilities or reciprocal agreement. I have not seen one for these two buildings, so I am not claiming it exists. It is the first thing I would ask your lawyer to look for.

The two corporations also differ on paper. Condos.ca lists a manager and fee inclusions for 265 Poplar Plains but none for 195 St. Clair West. That may simply be a gap in the data. It may also mean the buildings are run differently. Either way, the status certificate will tell you.

Seven suites of about 1,600 square feet

Condos.ca records suite sizes of about 1,599 to 1,600 sq ft. Seven suites of that size in a three-storey building means each home takes a real share of the floor plate, and the building lives more like a set of stacked townhouses than an apartment block. A featured suite next door at 265 Poplar Plains was laid out over two floors, and some suites here may be similar; confirm the layout of any suite you look at.

Suites this size give you room for a proper dining table, a home office and guest space, which is why buildings like this attract buyers coming out of houses. They also mean that renovation costs are house-sized. An original kitchen and two original bathrooms in a 1978 suite is a significant budget item.

Ask for the floor plan and the registered unit description, and measure. In very small buildings, recorded sizes are often carried from listing to listing without anyone checking them.

Parking and the fee: what I could not confirm

Condos.ca lists a parking garage and visitor parking for this building. Whether the garage is shared with 265 Poplar Plains, and whether a space is owned, assigned or rented, is something to confirm in the status certificate.

I could not find what the maintenance fee includes. The neighbouring corporation’s fee covers water, building insurance and common elements, but you should not assume this one is the same. Ask the seller for the current fee, the budget, and recent heating and hydro bills so you understand the full monthly cost.

Condos.ca also lists pets under amenities. I would not rely on that. Check the declaration and current rules before you make plans around an animal.

In a seven-suite corporation, the way owners have handled big repairs in the past tells you more than any single number. Ask whether the roof, windows and garage work of recent years was paid from the reserve fund or through a special assessment, and when the reserve fund study was last updated. Then ask how the board makes decisions. With seven owners, one strong opinion can carry a vote, for better or worse.

Living on St. Clair at Poplar Plains

The address is on St. Clair, but the setting is the top of South Hill. Poplar Plains Road runs down the escarpment from here past large houses and a handful of boutique condominiums, including the mansion conversion at 195 Poplar Plains Road. Shops, cafés and groceries along St. Clair West are on your doorstep.

A St. Clair address also means some street activity: deliveries, traffic and the sounds of a main road on the north side of the building. Suites oriented toward Poplar Plains or the rear will be quieter. Visit in the evening and on a weekday morning before you decide which you can live with.

The stretch of St. Clair just east of the building is where change is planned. UrbanToronto lists a proposal at 175 St. Clair West, designed by Richard Wengle, with buildings of 14 and 12 storeys, as pre-construction. If it goes ahead, expect construction next door for a period, and expect new suites competing for midtown buyers.

Transit, schools, parks and Walk Score for this address are shown in the data panel on this page.

Pricing with very little data

Condos.ca does not publish a building average price per square foot for 195 St. Clair West, and no suites were listed for sale or for rent when I checked. With seven suites, sales may be years apart.

The closest reference is next door. Condos.ca reports about $775 per square foot for 265 Poplar Plains, which has similar suites from the same builder and the same year. That is a starting point, not a value: frontage on St. Clair, parking arrangements, renovation and outdoor space can each move the number.

To price a suite here, I combine whatever has sold in both corporations with sales in boutique buildings and condo townhouses in South Hill and Deer Park. Ask me for a building sold report before you set a number.

Building specifications

Amenities at 195 St Clair Avenue West Condos

There are no shared facilities in the tower sense. What you get is a large suite, parking and a quiet, small-building setting at the top of South Hill.

Jatin’s honest take on 195 St Clair Avenue West Condos

195 St Clair Avenue West Condos — frequently asked questions

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