Zigg Condos, 223 St Clair Ave W: Stepped Terraces on Forest Hill’s Edge

Zigg Condos is the building I point to when someone wants a newer St. Clair West condo that still feels like part of a neighbourhood rather than a tower dropped onto it. The stepped terraces at the back are the reason to buy here, and they are also the thing that makes some suites far better than others. The fee is the number I would want you to understand before you offer. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Why it is shaped like a staircase

The name is a hint. Zigg refers to the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia, the stepped temple pyramids, and the building borrows the idea. A six-storey base holds the St. Clair Avenue street wall at the same height as the older mid-rises along the strip, and the upper floors pull back toward the middle of the site.

At the rear, the massing steps down in a series of terraces toward the low-rise houses to the south. That was the planning compromise that let 11 storeys work here, and it is what gives the building its character: a lot of suites on the upper and rear floors open onto large terraces rather than small balconies.

The exterior is precast concrete panels with dark brick accents and a lot of glass. It reads as a solid, conservative mid-rise from the street, which is what most buyers on this stretch of St. Clair want.

Which suites to look at first

Not every suite at Zigg gets the terrace. The best units are on the stepped rear floors, where you can have outdoor space that faces south over the treed streets behind rather than north over St. Clair. Lower suites on the front face the avenue, which is busy, and the light and noise are completely different.

Sizes start around 472 sq ft and run up to about 1,796 sq ft, so the building covers everything from investor one-bedrooms to genuine downsizer suites. The active listings when I checked were one-plus-den plans in the 600 to 700 sq ft range and a two-plus-den in the 900s, which is the heart of this building.

If you are downsizing from a house nearby, the larger terrace suites are what you want, and they rarely come up. Ask your agent to set an alert for this building and be ready to move when one lists.

One more layout point. In the smaller one-plus-den plans, check whether the den has a door and enough wall space for a desk or a guest bed, and whether the kitchen runs along the living room wall. Those details decide whether a 650 sq ft suite feels like a home or a hotel room, and they matter at resale too.

The fee is the thing to understand

Zigg’s fee covers common elements, building insurance and water. Heat, cooling and hydro are not listed in the fee, and neither is parking, so expect to pay those yourself. That is a normal arrangement for a 2018 building.

What is less normal is the level. On the three suites listed for sale when I checked, fees worked out to about $1.14 per square foot, with monthly fees from about $744 to about $1,047. For a newer building that does not include heat or parking, that is high, and in my experience it is the first thing a buyer’s lawyer or lender asks about.

There can be good reasons: a boutique building with 166 suites spreads concierge and staff costs over fewer owners, and large terraces and a rooftop add maintenance. Before you buy, read the budget and the reserve fund study in the status certificate to see what drives the fee and whether increases are planned.

Also confirm, suite by suite, whether a parking space and a locker are included and whether they are owned or exclusive-use. In a midtown building where many buyers own one car or none, a suite with parking is easier to sell later, and a suite without it should be priced accordingly.

St. Clair West, block by block

This part of St. Clair sits between the Yonge and St. Clair office node and the shops of Forest Hill Village, with Casa Loma and its ravine-edge streets to the south. It is a mature, walkable strip of grocers, cafes and older apartment buildings, and the transit and food details are in the data panel on this page.

The avenue is being steadily intensified with mid-rise buildings like this one, so expect more construction along it over the coming years. Next door, The Dunvegan at 235 St Clair West is a 45-suite building from 1970, a good example of the older stock Zigg was designed to sit alongside.

Pricing: a newer building at a fair price per foot

Zigg averages about $967 per square foot on condos.ca. On this stretch of St. Clair, newer luxury buildings such as The Avenue at 155 St Clair West sit far higher, at about $1,268, so Zigg is the more accessible way into a post-2015 building in the area.

When I checked, three suites were for sale, asking from about $624,999 to $939,900, with the one-plus-den plans grouped tightly at the lower end of that range. One suite was for rent. That is a thin market, so lean on the sold medians in the data panel rather than asking prices.

Put the purchase price and the fee together when you compare. A lower price per foot at Zigg can be offset over five years by a higher monthly fee, so model both against any building you are weighing it against.

Building specifications

Amenities at Zigg Condos

The amenity list is compact: concierge, gym, party and games rooms, and a rooftop terrace with skyline views. For a 166-suite building that is plenty, and it keeps the shared spaces from feeling crowded.

Jatin’s honest take on Zigg Condos

Zigg Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.