The Ellington, 7 Carlton St: The Red Granite Corner at Yonge and Carlton

The Ellington sits on one of the busiest corners in the city, Yonge and Carlton, and it is the building I point to when someone wants to live right at the centre of downtown in a suite with real square footage. It is a 1992 building, its fee covers hydro and parking, and suites come up for sale rarely. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A rounded corner on a famous intersection

The Ellington is easy to spot. It is clad in red granite with a rounded glass corner that faces the Yonge and Carlton intersection, a design that stands out against the plain towers built around it since. One listing source puts its height at about 60 metres and credits Page + Steele (now part of IBI Group) as the architect; I could not confirm the architect from a second source.

At 17 storeys it is a mid-height building by today’s downtown standards, and much of what surrounds it is now taller. That affects views. Suites on the upper floors facing Yonge get the open city view, while lower suites look across the street at their neighbours.

Lee Development Group is listed as both developer and builder. This was one of a wave of early-1990s condominiums around Yonge and College, before the much bigger towers of the 2010s changed the skyline here.

Bigger suites than you will find nearby

Suites run from about 435 sq ft to about 1,703 sq ft. That top end matters. Newer towers on this part of Yonge rarely offer suites above 1,000 sq ft, so the larger plans here, including some three-bedroom units that come up for lease, are hard to replace in the area.

Early-1990s layouts tend to have more defined rooms and enclosed kitchens rather than open-plan spaces, and ceilings are usually lower than in newer towers. I could not confirm ceiling heights from a reliable source, so measure during the showing if it matters to you.

Expect finishes to vary. Some owners have renovated fully and others have original kitchens and bathrooms, and the price should reflect the difference.

What the fee covers

Condos.ca lists hydro, heat, air conditioning, water, building insurance, parking and common elements in the fee. That is a fuller list than most buildings around Yonge and College, where hydro is usually billed to each suite and parking is often extra.

There were no suites for sale when I checked, so I cannot give you a current fee per square foot from listings. Buildings of this age that include hydro usually carry higher fees per square foot than newer towers, so compare total monthly costs rather than the fee alone, and ask for the current budget.

The status certificate and reserve fund study will tell you what the fee is paying for over the next decade. In a building more than 30 years old, the windows, cladding, garage and heating and cooling equipment are the items to look at.

Life at Yonge and Carlton

You are at the centre of downtown here. The former Maple Leaf Gardens, now a grocery store and a university athletic centre, is a short walk east on Carlton. Toronto Metropolitan University, the Church-Wellesley Village and the shops on Yonge are all within a few minutes on foot. The panel on this page covers transit and services in detail.

That location comes with noise. Yonge and Carlton is busy day and night, and suites on the lower floors facing the intersection will hear it. Suites higher up, or facing away from Yonge, are the better choice if you sleep lightly.

The corner is changing. In 2017 a developer proposed a tower of about 75 storeys for the northeast corner at 2 Carlton, and other tall towers are rising along Yonge. Check the City of Toronto development map for what has been approved before you pay for a view.

How it compares nearby

Around Yonge and College you have The Met and Encore on Carlton, the College Park towers and Aura to the south, and a growing list of new towers on Yonge. Almost all are newer and taller than The Ellington, with smaller average suites and higher prices per square foot.

The Ellington wins on space and on what the fee covers. It loses on finishes, amenities and the age of its systems. If you are comparing a two-bedroom here with one in a newer tower, check the square footage on both, add hydro and parking back onto the newer building’s costs, and then compare the monthly total.

For investors, the larger suites here are also worth a look. Three-bedroom suites in this part of downtown are scarce, and the building’s location means steady demand from students’ families and people working nearby.

What The Ellington costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $751 per square foot. That is below most of the newer towers at Yonge and College, which reflects the building’s age and its fuller fee, and it makes the larger suites here some of the better value per square foot in the area.

When I checked, there were no suites for sale and four for lease, so I cannot give you a current asking range. In a 243-suite building where owners tend to stay, that is common. Recent sold prices for the same layout and exposure are the only fair guide.

When suites do come up, the larger plans tend to draw the most interest, because there are so few alternatives of that size nearby. If you are selling here, that scarcity works in your favour; if you are buying, be ready to move quickly once you have seen the reserve fund study and status certificate.

If you want to be ready when a suite comes up, I can set up comparables for you through my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Ellington

The amenities are basic: concierge and security, a gym, a sauna and a games room. You choose this building for the location and the suite sizes, not for a pool or a rooftop lounge.

Jatin’s honest take on The Ellington

The Ellington — 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.