The Imperial II, 260 Doris Ave: The Smaller Twin on Doris Avenue

The Imperial II is the shorter of the two Misty Manor towers on Doris Avenue, and I find it the easier of the pair to recommend for a first look. It has 146 suites over 16 storeys, a fee that includes hydro and parking, and plenty of two-bedrooms in the 800 to 1,000 square foot range. You pay more per square foot than next door, and you should understand why. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The smaller of two sister towers

Misty Manor Developments put up two towers next to each other on Doris Avenue in 1998. The Imperial II at 260 is the smaller one, with 16 storeys and 146 suites, while The Imperial I at 256 has 20 storeys and 188 suites. Each is its own condominium corporation, so this building’s budget, reserve fund and rules belong only to MTCC-1224.

Online portals do not always keep the names straight; at least one labels 256 Doris as Imperial II. Use the corporation number on the status certificate to confirm which building you are buying into, and make sure any comparable sales your agent shows you are from 260 Doris.

A smaller tower means fewer owners sharing costs, but also fewer neighbours to compete with when you sell, and condos.ca lists a different manager here, Provincial Property Management, than at its sister building.

Two-bedrooms are the core of the building

Suites run from about 517 to 1,398 square feet, a wider range than next door at both ends. When I checked, three of the five suites for sale were two-bedrooms, in the 800 to 1,000 square foot bands and up, alongside a one-bedroom and a three-bedroom.

That makes this a good building for couples who want a real second bedroom or office and families who need space near Yonge. Layouts from the late 1990s tend to be practical, with separate dining space and closets sized for people who actually live there.

Condition varies widely. Some suites will have original kitchens and bathrooms, and some will be fully redone. Price the renovation into your offer if the suite you like has not been updated.

Before you plan that renovation, read the rules. Many older corporations require board approval for new flooring, with sound-control standards, and for plumbing or electrical changes, and some limit when work can happen. Factor that into your timeline as well as your budget.

An all-inclusive fee with hydro

The fee here covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, hydro, building insurance, parking and water. Paying one bill for nearly everything is rare in North York, where most newer buildings meter hydro and often charge separately for parking.

On the five active listings when I checked, fees ran from about $697 to $1,266 a month and averaged about $1.08 per square foot. That is high on its face, but once you add back hydro, heating, cooling and parking for a newer building, the true gap is much smaller.

The risk with an all-inclusive fee is exposure to energy prices and to an aging central heating and cooling system. Look at how the fee has moved over recent budgets and what the reserve fund study says about the mechanical plant.

A fair way to compare is to strip the utilities out. Subtract a realistic monthly estimate for hydro, heating, cooling and a parking space from the fee here, then compare what remains per square foot with a newer building’s fee. That is the cost of the building itself, and it is a fairer test than the headline number.

Living on Doris, a block off Yonge

Doris Avenue runs parallel to Yonge on the east side through the North York Centre stretch between Sheppard and Finch. You are within walking distance of Yonge Street shops, Mel Lastman Square and the civic and library buildings, but a block back from the traffic. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and the Walk Score.

Towers from several decades now line Doris, and redevelopment continues around the North York Centre. If the view from a particular suite matters to you, ask about applications on nearby low-rise or commercial sites before you commit.

Living a block off Yonge gives you quieter evenings than a tower on the main street. Doris still carries local traffic and the garage entrances for a long row of buildings, so a low suite facing the street will hear more of it than a high one.

Pricing: a step up from its sister tower

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $703 per square foot, noticeably above The Imperial I’s roughly $583 next door. Part of the difference may be the lower fee per square foot here, but I would not assume one building is a bargain without comparing the reserve funds.

The five suites for sale when I checked were asking from about $499,999 to $788,000. The two-bedrooms in that group were asking roughly $598,000 to $679,000. These are asking prices, not sold prices. Larger two- and three-bedroom suites are hard to find in new North York towers, which supports demand for the bigger plans here.

For a building of this age, the fee and the reserve fund matter as much as the price. Check the sold data panel on this page, or ask me for a building sold report comparing 260 and 256 Doris side by side.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Imperial II

The amenities are modest and practical: staffed security, a sauna and guest suites for visiting family. Most residents use the gyms and services along Yonge for the rest, so judge this building on the suite and the fee, not the amenity floor. Guest suites are genuinely useful for families with relatives visiting from out of town, so ask how they are booked and what they cost per night.

Jatin’s honest take on The Imperial II

The Imperial II — 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.