Wellington on the Park, 15 Stafford St: Terraced Over Stanley Park

Wellington on the Park is for buyers who want King West without living on King. It sits on Stafford Street just south of King, steps back in terraces toward Stanley Park, and has a fee that already covers heat, cooling and parking. Very little comes up for sale here, which tells you something about how owners feel. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A building that steps down to the park

The defining feature here is the shape. When the City reviewed the building to the north in 2009, its planners pointed to the terracing of 15 Stafford as the model for how a building should step back from Stanley Park. The upper floors of Wellington on the Park pull back on the park side, which leaves room for terraces and keeps the building from looming over the green space.

The City’s report put the building at about 29 metres, not counting part of the mechanical penthouse, at a density of about 5.4 times the lot area. Condos.ca lists nine storeys and the City says 10. The difference is probably how the top floor or a mezzanine level is counted; the status certificate will settle it if it matters to you.

The same report noted that the City had already closed the lane in front of 15 Stafford, known as Stanley Terrace, and landscaped it as part of the park. In practice that means the building’s park side faces green space rather than a service lane, which is a better outlook than most buildings in King West can claim.

Layouts from one-bedrooms to large terrace suites

Condos.ca records suites from about 487 to 1,655 square feet. The smaller end is one-bedroom territory, but the top of the range is a genuine family-sized home, which is unusual for a 142-suite building in this part of the city.

The terraced form is what creates those larger plans. Suites on the setback floors tend to have bigger outdoor areas, and the lower penthouse level is where the big plans sit. If outdoor space is the priority, compare terrace size on the floor plan, not just interior area.

Orientation matters more than floor. East-facing suites look over Stanley Park, which is protected parkland and will not be built on. West-facing suites look across Stafford toward 18 Stafford, an 11-storey condo, and an eight-storey office building, so their light and view are more limited.

A fee that covers most of the bills

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is your own. That is a fuller inclusion list than most newer King West buildings offer, where heating, cooling and parking are usually separate.

There were no suites listed for sale or for rent when I checked, so I cannot give a current range of fees. Ask the listing agent for the fee and what the suite pays per square foot, and compare it with the total monthly cost of a newer building after you add back heating, cooling and a parking space.

Parking being included in the fee does not mean every suite has a space. Confirm the parking unit and locker in the status certificate. Beanfield Fibre is available in the building, a plus if you work from home.

If you are comparing two suites of similar size, the one with the larger terrace may carry a higher fee, because fees are usually set by each unit’s share of the common elements. Ask how the share was calculated for the suite you want, and make sure the terrace is exclusive-use rather than shared.

Stafford Street, day to day

Stafford is a short side street, so it is far quieter than King, yet King West’s restaurants and bars are at the top of the block. Liberty Village’s grocery stores and gyms are a short walk south and west, and the King streetcar runs along the top of the street.

Stanley Park is the reason to choose this block. The building sits right on it, so a morning walk starts at the lobby door, and for a dog owner that is a daily convenience few condos in King West can match. Because it is City parkland, the open space in front of the building is not going to be redeveloped. The park’s facilities are listed in the data panel on this page.

The block is now essentially built out. The Parc Lofts building to the north, at 25 Stafford, was completed in 2011 at 10 storeys, and was approved at a height comparable to this one. The transit and walkability details are in the data panel on this page.

What Wellington on the Park costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $964 per square foot. That is high for a 2007 building and reflects the park, the terraces and the King West address. It is above the older buildings across the street and in line with newer mid-rises in the area.

No suites were listed for sale or rent at the time of writing. A building of 142 suites with nothing on the market is a sign that owners are staying, but it also means you may wait for the right plan to come up.

Because current listings are not available, the sold aggregates in the data panel are the best benchmark. If you are watching for a particular suite type, set up an alert and be ready to move, because good park-facing suites in a building this size do not appear often.

Building specifications

Amenities at Wellington on the Park

The amenities are practical: a gym, a party room and a meeting room, with no pool or concierge on the condos.ca list. With Stanley Park on the doorstep, most owners get their outdoor space from the park and their own terraces rather than from a shared rooftop.

Jatin’s honest take on Wellington on the Park

Wellington on the 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.