West Harbour City I, 628 Fleet St: Terraces and Townhomes by Fort York

West Harbour City I is the building I point to when someone wants waterfront-area living but needs more than a one-bedroom. Unlike most towers around Bathurst and Fleet, it runs from compact one-bedrooms to two-plus-dens and three-bedrooms over 2,000 sq ft, plus townhomes at its base. It also sits on one of the more interesting pieces of land in the city, between Fort York and the lake. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A tower, a terraced podium and a ring of townhomes

West Harbour City was built in phases on the north side of Fleet Street, west of Bathurst, on land that once held the Molson brewery. Phase I is the 36-storey tower; Phase II is the 28-storey tower beside it, and a third phase became York Harbour Club. Plaza, the developer behind the Regency in Yorkville, built the project with Quadrangle Architects.

The tower rises from an 11-storey podium in beige concrete and dark glass, and the podium steps back as it rises, creating cascading terraces. UrbanToronto’s coverage at completion singled out those setbacks on the north side as the best part of the design. For buyers, the terraces are the point: podium suites with large outdoor space are rare in towers of this size.

The corporation also takes in the townhomes on Bastion Street, Sloping Sky Mews and Grand Magazine Street. That makes this a mixed community rather than a single tower, and it means the same corporation, budget and rules cover very different kinds of homes.

If you are looking at a podium suite, ask whether the terrace is exclusive-use common element or part of the unit, who is responsible for the membrane underneath, and what you are allowed to put on it. Those answers change both the value of the terrace and what you will pay when it needs repair.

The only real size range in the neighbourhood

Suites run from roughly 525 sq ft to just over 2,100 sq ft. Current listings tell the story: one-bedrooms in the 600s, one-plus-dens in the 800s, and two-plus-dens and three-bedrooms at the top of the range. Malibu next door tops out under 1,000 sq ft, and Panorama to the east is almost all one-bedrooms.

That range matters if you are a family, a downsizer or a couple planning to stay a long time. It means you can move up within the same building, and it means larger-suite comparables actually exist when you sell.

The larger suites and townhomes behave like their own market. Do not price a three-bedroom here off the building’s average per square foot, which is dominated by smaller units.

Fort York on one side, the Gardiner on the other

This location has two faces. Fort York National Historic Site and the Bentway, the public space built under the Gardiner, are just to the north and west, and the lake is a short walk south. The townhome street names, from Bastion to Grand Magazine, come straight from the fort’s history.

The Gardiner and the Lake Shore are close by, and UrbanToronto’s construction photos of Phase II were taken from the expressway itself. As with any building here, exposure matters: lower suites facing the highway will hear it, and suites with lake or park views are worth a premium for a reason.

The upside of the same location is access. For anyone who drives to work outside downtown, being a few turns from the Gardiner and the Lake Shore is a genuine time saving, and that is why this corner holds its appeal for commuters to Etobicoke, Mississauga and beyond.

Transit, schools and Walk Score details are in the data panel on this page.

Who lives here, and why it matters

With seven suites for sale and nine for rent right now, this is an active building with a mix of owners and tenants. Large suites and townhomes tend to attract owner-occupiers, while the one-bedrooms draw investors.

A mixed corporation like this can be a strength, because long-term owners tend to show up for board meetings. It can also create friction when townhome owners and tower owners want the budget spent differently. Read the board minutes and look for how shared costs are allocated.

On the investor side, the building’s location near the waterfront, Liberty Village and King West keeps rental demand steady for the smaller suites. If you are buying to rent, compare the rental listings in the panel against your carrying costs, and remember to add parking if your suite has a spot, since it is not in the fee.

What West Harbour City I costs

The building average is around $868 per square foot, above Malibu next door at about $802 and Panorama at about $792, and close to Neo on Spadina at about $878. The premium reflects the larger suites, the terraces and the townhomes rather than any difference in age; all four were finished between 2009 and 2010.

Seven current listings ask between $509,880 and $1,450,000. One-bedrooms in the 600s ask roughly $510,000 to $590,000, one-plus-dens in the 800s roughly $610,000 to $749,000, and the two-plus-dens and three-bedrooms between about $1.2 million and $1.45 million.

Fees on current listings average about $0.75 per square foot, with the large suites running roughly $930 to $1,040 a month. The fee covers heat, air conditioning, water and insurance, but parking is not listed as included, so add a parking cost if the suite has a spot. For the larger suites, that fee per square foot is reasonable for a building with this much common space.

Building specifications

Amenities at West Harbour City I

The amenity list is practical rather than showy: concierge, guest suites, party and meeting rooms and a rooftop deck. For most buyers here, the real amenity is outdoor space, either a podium terrace or the parks and fort grounds around the building.

Jatin’s honest take on West Harbour City I

West Harbour City I — 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.