The Uxbridge, 55 Wellesley St E: 41 Large Suites in a 1984 Brick Mid-Rise

The Uxbridge is a building most people walk past without noticing, and that is part of its appeal. It is a nine-storey brick mid-rise from 1984 near Church and Wellesley with just 41 suites, and every one of them is over 1,000 square feet. Space like that, at this price per square foot, this close to Yonge, is hard to find. The catch is that you will rarely get the chance to buy in. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small brick building in a street of towers

The Uxbridge is a conventional brick building of nine storeys with a canopied front entrance, set on the south side of Wellesley Street East between Yonge and Church. Around it, Wellesley has filled with much taller buildings, including Plaza’s 37-storey 50 at Wellesley Station across the street. The Uxbridge stayed at its original 1980s scale.

With 41 suites, this is one of the smallest condominium corporations in the area, about four or five suites per floor. Hallways are short, elevators are not crowded, and owners tend to know each other. It is the closest thing to a boutique building you will find in Church-Wellesley.

The developer is recorded as 55 Wellesley E. Developments, which reads as a single-purpose company formed for this project rather than a well-known builder. That is common for buildings of this age, and after 40 years the original developer matters far less than how the corporation has been run since.

Every suite is a large suite

condos.ca records suites from about 1,046 to 1,402 square feet. There are no studios and no small one-bedrooms at the bottom of the range. The smallest suite here is roughly the size of a large two-bedroom in a new tower, and the largest is bigger than most new three-bedrooms.

That makes the building a natural fit for people moving out of a house, and for couples who both need a room to work in. Layouts from the early 1980s usually separate the living room, dining area and bedrooms more clearly than open-concept plans do, which suits furniture you already own.

I could not find published floor plans or ceiling heights. Expect finishes to vary widely: in a building this age, some suites will have been fully renovated and others will be close to original. Budget for the work you would want to do, and let that shape your offer.

Parking is included in the fee, which is valuable this close to Yonge where many newer buildings sell spaces separately or not at all. Confirm in the status certificate that a space is assigned to the suite you are buying, and ask whether a locker comes with it.

Church-Wellesley at your front door

This is the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village, Toronto’s historic LGBTQ+ neighbourhood, with its restaurants, bars, cafés and annual Pride events a few minutes away on foot. Yonge Street is to the west, and Queen’s Park and the University of Toronto are a reasonable walk beyond that. The data panel on this page covers transit, groceries and parks.

Everyday errands are easy here. condos.ca notes a pharmacy and a bank as immediate neighbours, which sounds minor until you live somewhere without them. The other side of a central street is activity: Wellesley is busy, and Pride weekend is loud. Visit on a weekend evening as well as a weekday.

The street around the building keeps changing, with more towers proposed and built along Wellesley and Church. A low, older building with a small corporation will not change much itself, but expect cranes and construction nearby for years.

What a 41-suite corporation means for owners

Very small condominium corporations work differently from large ones. The board is a few owners, the budget is small, and the property manager is likely to be off site. Things get decided quickly, but there is less money and less staff to absorb surprises.

That makes the financial documents more important, not less. A single roof or garage project in a 41-suite building can mean a meaningful amount per owner if the reserve fund has not kept up. Read the latest reserve fund study, ask what work has been completed in the last ten years, and look for any discussion of special assessments in the board minutes.

Small buildings also tend to have a stable group of long-term owners. When you view a suite, ask the seller how long they have lived there and what they think of the board. It is one of the most useful conversations you can have before an offer.

Price per square foot and the fee

condos.ca puts the average at about $602 per square foot. For a building this close to Yonge and Wellesley, that is low; newer towers on the same street trade well above it. The discount reflects the building’s age, its modest amenities and the fact that buyers pay less per foot for large suites.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking, water and cable TV. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask how each suite is heated and cooled and get twelve months of utility bills. For a suite over 1,000 square feet in a 1980s building, that cost is real and belongs in your budget.

No suites were listed for sale when I checked, which is typical. With 41 suites, the building can go months without a listing. If you want in, tell me now and I will watch for it; when one does come up, a building sold report will show you what comparable suites have actually traded for.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Uxbridge

The amenities are modest: a rooftop deck, a party room, a meeting room and, unusually, a car wash bay in the garage. There is no pool or gym listed, so you are paying for suite size and location, not facilities.

Jatin’s honest take on The Uxbridge

The Uxbridge — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.