Edge on Triangle Park, 36 Lisgar St: Through-Suites on a New Park

Edge on Triangle Park is the building that turned the old Queen West Triangle into a neighbourhood: two joined towers on Lisgar Street, a new park at the front door and West Queen West a block north. Many suites run right through the building with windows on both sides, which is rare in a tower this size. The suites are small, though, and with 664 of them you will always have competition when you sell. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The building that finished the Queen West Triangle

For years, the land just south of Queen around Lisgar Street was a wedge of warehouses and parking known as the Queen West Triangle. Edge was one of the projects that replaced it, alongside its sister Epic on Triangle Park, and together they paid for a new public park between Lisgar and Abell Streets.

UrbanToronto reported in 2014 that the park, working title Lisgar Park, would include canopy trees, sculptural seating, a shaded children’s play area and a grid of art poles built mostly from salvaged timbers from a demolished industrial building on the site. Victor Ford and Associates and Oleson Worland Architects worked on the design.

The same article said the base of Edge would house the Toronto Media Arts Centre, with doors opening onto the park, funded through nearly $10 million in Section 37 community benefits from the two developments. Confirm the current use of the ground-floor space when you visit, because it shapes the life of the park.

Two towers, and suites with windows on both sides

UrbanToronto describes Edge as two conjoined towers of 19 and 22 storeys by TACT Architecture, with a landscaped courtyard between them that is separate from the public park. Condos.ca lists 21 storeys. You will see suite numbers ending in E and W, which is how the two towers are told apart.

The design idea that matters most is that most suites have windows on both the east and west sides. A suite that runs right through the building gets morning and evening light and, with the right windows open, a cross-breeze. In a building of 664 suites, that is a real point of difference from the usual single-aspect box.

The trade-off is size. Condos.ca puts suites at roughly 309 to 901 square feet, and every suite listed for sale when I checked was in the 500 to 999 square foot range, most of them between 500 and 699. Many are marketed as two-bedroom plans, so check that the second bedroom has a window and a closet and fits a bed before you pay a two-bedroom price.

Fees, heat and the developer question

Condos.ca lists the fee as including heat, air conditioning, common elements, building insurance and water. Across current listings that works out to about $1.02 per square foot a month. Hydro is not on the list, so expect your own hydro bill.

For a building of this age, a fee around a dollar a square foot is on the higher side, and heat and cooling being included is part of the reason. Ask for the last few budgets to see how the fee has moved, and check how the shared courtyard and amenities are maintained.

Sources describe the developer differently. Condos.ca lists Urban Group, while UrbanToronto’s coverage names a joint venture of Urbancorp and Plaza. Check the declaration and the status certificate for the details that matter to you, such as warranty history and the reserve fund.

Living a block south of Queen West

This is one of the best-located buildings in the west end for people who like to go out. The Drake and the Gladstone are on Queen just north, the galleries and restaurants of West Queen West run east and west, and Liberty Village and King West are a short walk south-east. The Theatre Centre sits across from the park. Transit, schools and Walk Score are in the data panel on this page.

The park out front is the daily luxury here. It gives you trees and open sky in a part of the city that had almost none a decade ago. The flip side is that Queen West is busy late, so suites facing the street or the park can be livelier than buyers expect.

Suites facing the inner courtyard or higher up in either tower are the calmer choice. If you are sensitive to noise, visit on a Friday or Saturday night before you buy, and ask the seller which way the bedroom windows face. In a through-suite, one side may be quiet and the other not.

What suites here are asking

Condos.ca puts the average price at about $767 per square foot. That is in line with the newer West Queen West stock nearby and reflects the location more than the finishes.

When I checked, seven suites were for sale, asking from about $435,000 to $668,000, with fees from about $553 to $965 a month. Five more suites were listed for rent. Seven listings at once is a lot of choice, and it gives a buyer negotiating room.

With 664 suites, there will almost always be several similar units for sale. That is good when you buy and harder when you sell, because your suite will be compared directly with its neighbours. Buy the best layout and exposure you can, not just the cheapest. For recent sales and leases, use the data panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Edge on Triangle Park

The Edge Club gives you a party room with a wet bar and caterer’s kitchen, a gym and a yoga room, plus a media room and guest suites. It is a practical package rather than a resort one, and with the park next door you do not need much more. Beanfield fibre is a real plus if you work from home.

Jatin’s honest take on Edge on Triangle Park

Edge on Triangle Park — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.