Thompson Residences, 629 King St W: The Rooftop Pool and the Fee Question

Thompson Residences is the King West building I show buyers who care about design and want a rooftop pool they will actually use. Freed Developments hired a Montreal firm to break up a long block on King Street into a stack of offset boxes, and topped it with a pool deck that faces the skyline. The question I always put to buyers here is whether the fee is worth what you get for it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two long blocks and a façade of drawers

The building replaced the old Executive Motor Hotel on King Street West, and takes its name from Freed’s Thompson Hotel across Stewart Street. The Globe and Mail described the plan as two long, parallel blocks, one facing King and one facing Stewart, set on a two-storey base of shops and restaurants close to the sidewalk.

The architects, Saucier + Perrotte, gave the façade its depth by pushing suites in and out, so the building reads as a stack of individual boxes in black aluminum frames. UrbanToronto compared the effect to drawers pulled out of a cabinet. Behind that façade, the floor plates are fairly conventional and rectilinear, which is good news for furniture.

The numbers changed between launch and completion. The 2011 Globe piece described a 12-storey, 310-unit project; by 2014, UrbanToronto reported 15 storeys and 408 units, and condos.ca lists 14 storeys and 408 suites. The difference is probably in how the rooftop and mechanical levels are counted, but I have not been able to confirm it.

The rooftop pool

The pool is the feature people remember. The Globe and Mail reported it at about 140 feet long, and UrbanToronto described it as a perimeter overflow pool, among the longest of its kind on the continent, next to a rooftop lounge and bar with views of the skyline. Some penthouses were planned with private poolside cabanas.

A pool like this is a real lifestyle amenity in summer. It is also a real cost: rooftop pools need waterproofing, heating and equipment that eventually has to be replaced. Before you buy, read the reserve fund study for what the corporation has set aside for the pool deck and roof membrane.

At launch, Freed also marketed hotel-style services to residents, including access to the Thompson Hotel’s room service, cleaning and valet parking. Ask the property manager what, if anything, is still offered today, and what it costs. I would not assume a 2011 sales promise still applies.

Suite sizes and layouts

The suite mix leans small. Most of what is listed for sale is one-bedroom suites, several of them under 600 sq ft, with a smaller number of one-bedroom-plus-den and two-bedroom suites. At launch, Freed advertised sizes from about 400 to 2,500 sq ft, so the building does have larger suites and penthouses, but they rarely come up.

Because the floor plates are rectilinear, the plans tend to be straightforward. Because the façade pushes some suites out and pulls others in, the window line varies from suite to suite, so two suites with the same square footage can feel quite different. Compare the floor plan and the actual window wall, not just the number on the listing.

Living at King and Bathurst

This stretch of King West, between Portland and Bathurst, is one of the city’s busier dining and nightlife strips. The building puts you in the middle of it, with shops and restaurants at its own base and the Thompson Hotel and Stewart Street around the corner.

The trade-off is noise. Suites facing King get the streetcar and the evening crowds; suites facing Stewart are usually quieter. Visit on a Friday or Saturday night before you buy a King-facing suite, and ask which way your bedroom faces.

Do not confuse this building with The Thompson Residences at 552 Wellington Street West and 55 Stewart Street, which is Freed’s earlier condominium beside the hotel, completed in 2010 with a different architect and corporation. Check the address and corporation number on every listing.

What Thompson Residences costs, and the fee question

When I checked, there were 8 suites for sale and 6 for lease. Current sale listings ran from roughly $397,000 to about $1.25 million, with most one-bedrooms asking between about $450,000 and $650,000.

Fees are the issue to understand. Across current listings, fees average about $1.12 per square foot, and ranged from roughly $485 to almost $1,200 a month. That is high for King West, and much higher than a newer tower nearby at $0.70.

Part of the gap is the inclusions. Condos.ca lists heat, air conditioning, water and parking in the fee, so you are not paying separately for those the way you would in many newer buildings. Part of it is the rooftop pool and amenities. Add the utility and parking costs back onto a cheaper building before you compare, and then decide whether the remaining difference is worth the pool to you. FibreStream internet is also listed in the building.

Building specifications

Amenities at Thompson Residences

The rooftop is the amenity package: a long overflow pool, deck and lounge facing the skyline, backed up by a gym, party room and media room inside. If you will use the pool through the summer, it changes how the building feels; if you will not, you are still paying for it.

Jatin’s honest take on Thompson Residences

Thompson Residences — 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.