Redpath Residences, 188 Redpath Ave: 86-Suite Boutique Mid-Rise in Midtown

Redpath Residences at 188 Redpath Avenue is the building I show buyers who want Yonge and Eglinton without the tower. It is an 8-storey, 86-suite brick and concrete mid-rise from 2000, on a residential stretch of Redpath north of Eglinton, and it trades at a clear discount per square foot to the newer towers around it. The questions here are about age and the fee, not about the location. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small building on a street of towers

Redpath Avenue north of Eglinton has become one of the most built-up streets in midtown. Towers such as Citylights on Broadway, 150 Redpath and 155 Redpath have gone up within a few blocks, and more are proposed. Redpath Residences, at 8 storeys and 86 suites, belongs to an earlier and quieter generation.

That size is the main reason to buy here. With fewer than a hundred suites, you share the elevators, garage and party room with far fewer people than in a 400-suite tower, and you are more likely to know your neighbours and your board.

The building was developed by Plazacorp Investments and completed in 2000. Listings describe a brick and concrete exterior, which gives it a more traditional look than the glass towers on the street.

A small corporation cuts both ways. Decisions can be made quickly and owners have a real voice at meetings, but there are fewer owners to share each bill, and one difficult year can show up quickly in the fee. Reading recent board minutes tells you a lot about how this building is run.

Suites, dens and fireplaces

Condos.ca lists suites from about 545 to 1,323 square feet. A recent listing described a one-bedroom-plus-den of about 600 to 700 square feet with separate living and dining areas, ensuite laundry, a balcony and a den behind French doors, which is the kind of den that works as a real office.

The same listing mentioned a fireplace. In a building from this era, a fireplace may be gas or electric, and it may be the owner’s responsibility to service, so ask how it works and when it was last inspected.

Larger two-bedroom suites make up the other end of the range. At this size and price per square foot, they are some of the more affordable family-sized suites within walking distance of Yonge and Eglinton.

Because the building is small, suites do not come up often. If you want a particular layout or exposure, be ready to wait for it, and be ready to move quickly when it is listed.

How the heating actually works

Condos.ca lists heat and air conditioning in the fee. A recent listing, however, described an electric heat pump with central air, separate heating controls and separate electricity meters. Those two descriptions can both be partly true, depending on how the system is set up, but they lead to very different monthly costs.

If heat comes from the building and your suite only runs a fan coil or heat pump on your own hydro meter, part of your heating cost lands on your hydro bill. Ask the seller for a year of hydro bills, and ask the manager how heating and cooling are supplied and who maintains the equipment in the suite.

Heat pumps and fan coils in a building from 2000 may be near the end of their life. Find out whether replacement is the owner’s cost or the corporation’s, and whether the board has a replacement program.

Daily life north of Eglinton

Listings for the building point to the walk to Eglinton station, Sherwood Park and Eglinton Park. You are close to the shops and restaurants at Yonge and Eglinton but on a residential street rather than a main road. The data panel on this page has the transit, school and walkability details.

The street is changing. A 38-storey condo and rental replacement building at 241 Redpath, by MOD Developments with architects—Alliance, is listed as pre-construction on Urban Toronto, and other sites nearby are being redeveloped.

Expect construction on Redpath for years, with the noise, trucks and lane closures that come with it. In return, the neighbourhood gains shops and services, and a small, established building like this one becomes harder to replace.

What Redpath Residences costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $699 per square foot. That is well below the newer towers around Yonge and Eglinton and below older towers such as Eglinton Place on Eglinton Avenue East. For buyers who want the location and are comfortable with an older building, it is one of the lower entry points in the area.

Supply is very limited. When I checked there was one suite for sale and none for rent, so I will not quote a single asking price or fee here. Use the sold data on this page, or ask me for a building sold report for the closed results.

The fee per square foot here is not low, and the reason is the inclusions. Condos.ca lists air conditioning, common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water. A small building also spreads its fixed costs, such as staff, insurance and the elevator contract, across fewer suites. Compare the fee with what you would pay in a newer building after adding its separate heat, cooling and parking bills, and check how the heating in the suite is actually billed.

Building specifications

Amenities at Redpath Residences

This is a basic package: a party room, meeting room, bike storage and lockers, with no pool, gym or concierge listed. That keeps the shared costs focused on the building itself, which matters in a corporation with only 86 suites. If you want a gym, you will be paying for one outside the building.

Jatin’s honest take on Redpath Residences

Redpath Residences — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yonge & Eglinton, Davisville and North Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.