Jarvis Gardens, 192 Jarvis St: 48 Big Suites With Heat and Parking In

Jarvis Gardens is a small, older building that gives you a lot of space for the money in a part of downtown that is about to change a great deal. It is a 14-storey red-brick tower from 1983 with only 48 suites, most of them large, and a fee that covers almost everything but hydro. You are buying space and simplicity, not a lobby or a pool. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small red-brick tower with big suites

Jarvis Gardens is a plain, solid building: 14 storeys of red brick above an underground garage, with 48 suites in total. That is fewer than four suites per floor on average, so corridors are short and you will not share an elevator with hundreds of neighbours.

The suites are large by downtown standards. Recorded sizes are around 1,200 square feet, and the building has a good share of two-bedroom suites. Profiles describe spacious living areas, hardwood floors, large windows and separate kitchens rather than the open galley kitchens found in most new towers.

A separate kitchen is a matter of taste. Some buyers want to open it up, and that is often possible, but in a concrete building you need to know which walls can be moved. Get the condominium’s approval process and a contractor’s opinion before you plan a renovation around it.

A fee that covers nearly everything

The maintenance fee at 192 Jarvis includes common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water. In practice, hydro is the only major utility you pay yourself, which makes monthly budgeting simple.

That matters when you compare fees. A newer building may quote a lower fee per square foot, but if heating, cooling and parking are billed separately, the real gap is much smaller. In an older building with central heating and cooling, also ask how the system is maintained and when the main equipment is due for replacement, since that is what the reserve fund has to cover.

Who lives here: students, staff and owner-occupiers

Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson, is a short walk west, and that shapes demand. Two-bedroom suites of this size suit students sharing, as well as faculty and staff, and St. Michael’s Hospital is also close by. That gives the building a steady rental market, which helps investors.

It also means you should expect a mix of owners and tenants. If you are buying to live here, ask how many suites are rented and whether the building has rules on short leases. The automatic panel on this page shows the owner and renter mix and the current short-term rental rules.

What 40-plus years means for a small building

A 1983 building can be in excellent shape, but the age shows up in the paperwork. Brick, windows, balcony slabs, the roof, elevators and the underground garage all have life spans, and in a building with only 48 owners each major project is shared by relatively few people.

That is why I look at the reserve fund per suite rather than the total. Compare it with what the most recent reserve fund study says is needed over the next ten years, and look for any recent special assessment or planned fee increase in the status certificate. If the numbers line up, an older building with an inclusive fee can be one of the most predictable places to own.

Also ask about the central heating and cooling. With heat and air conditioning in the fee, the age and efficiency of the building’s equipment affect your monthly cost directly, even if you never see a separate bill.

Up the street, 256 Jarvis is a useful comparison: another small 1983 building with an inclusive fee, but larger recorded suites and self-management. If you are shopping this stretch of Jarvis, look at both.

Jarvis and Dundas is about to change

Jarvis Street around Dundas is drawing new development proposals. UrbanToronto lists a proposed 36-storey condominium and rental replacement tower by CentreCourt at 295 Jarvis, on the northeast corner of Jarvis and Dundas, a short walk north of Jarvis Gardens.

New towers bring new shops, more foot traffic and generally higher values, but also construction noise and a period of disruption. If you are in a suite facing that way, plan for it. A few blocks west, the former Yonge-Dundas Square has been renamed Sankofa Square, and the Eaton Centre and the Church Street restaurants are within walking distance. Transit, schools and walkability are covered by the automatic panel.

What Jarvis Gardens costs per square foot

condos.ca shows an average of about $583 per square foot at Jarvis Gardens, well below what new towers in the area ask. That reflects the building’s age, its modest amenity list and the size of the suites: large suites always trade at a lower price per square foot than small ones.

There were no active listings when this review was written, which is normal for a building with 48 suites. For a realistic budget, look at recent sales in the building and at similar older buildings along Jarvis. I can send you a sold report for the building.

When you compare fees, remember that heat, cooling and parking are included here. A suite of about 1,200 square feet with parking, in a building where only hydro is extra, is a very different monthly cost from a new 600-square-foot one-bedroom with parking billed separately.

Building specifications

Amenities at Jarvis Gardens

The amenities are basic: a gym, a sauna, bike storage and permission for barbecues. Owners here are paying for space and an inclusive fee, not for a large amenity floor, and that keeps the long-term costs more manageable.

Jatin’s honest take on Jarvis Gardens

Jarvis Gardens — frequently asked questions

Looking at St. Lawrence, the Financial District and Downtown Yonge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.