Vita on the Lake, 70 Annie Craig Dr: 53 Storeys With Heat in the Fee

Vita on the Lake is one of the tallest towers on the Humber Bay Shores waterfront, and the upper floors have the lake and skyline views that brought most buyers here. What gets less attention is the fee: it is listed as covering heat and air conditioning, which few new towers on this strip do. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 53-storey tower in the Humber Bay Shores cluster

Vita on the Lake sits in the group of tall towers east of Park Lawn Road and Lake Shore Boulevard, close to Humber Bay Park. At 53 storeys and roughly 177 metres according to UrbanToronto, it is one of the taller buildings on the Etobicoke waterfront, and from the upper floors you look straight across Humber Bay to the downtown skyline.

Mattamy Homes built it with Biddington Group, the same partnership behind Lago and Riva del Lago nearby. The second phase, Vita Two at 65 Annie Craig Drive, is a 16-storey building next door. Together the two phases add up to 658 suites, but they are separate corporations with separate fees and amenities.

Graziani + Corazza Architects designed both phases. U31 did the interiors and gh3 did the ground-level landscape. If you know Humber Bay Shores, you will recognise the approach: a glass tower on a podium, with the value concentrated in the view.

Layouts and which floors get the view

At launch, plans ran from studios of about 390 square feet to two-bedroom-plus-den suites of nearly 2,000 square feet. Condos.ca now lists a range of about 524 to 1,746 square feet. The difference likely reflects which plans actually trade on resale, so do not assume a studio will come up.

The launch floor plans tell you how the building is stacked. One-bedrooms and one-plus-dens started from the sixth floor, typical two-bedrooms from the 22nd, and the large corner suites from the 45th floor up. Several plans had wraparound balconies on the corners, with sunset views to the west and the lake and skyline to the south and east.

That stacking means the price per square foot here varies more by floor than in a shorter building. A lower one-bedroom facing north and a high corner suite facing the lake are almost different products. Compare suites on the same exposure and a similar floor before you judge a price.

Why heat and A/C in the fee matters

Many newer towers bill heating and cooling to the suite through a sub-meter or a rented unit. Even Vita Two next door does not list heat in its fee on condos.ca. Condos.ca lists heat and air conditioning in the Vita on the Lake fee, alongside common elements, building insurance and water. If that holds, your monthly cost is more predictable through January and July.

It also means you cannot compare the fee directly with a building down the street. A neighbouring tower with a lower fee may hand you a separate heating and cooling bill and an equipment rental. Add those back before you decide which building is cheaper to own.

Confirm this on the status certificate. Ask how heating and cooling are delivered to the suite, who owns the equipment, and whether there are any rental contracts for water heaters or fan coils. That is the one detail I would never take from a listing alone. It is also worth asking how the corporation budgets for the central heating and cooling plant, since the building, not you, will eventually pay to replace it.

Daily life on Annie Craig Drive

Annie Craig Drive sits close to the lake, with Humber Bay Park and the waterfront trail a short walk away. For runners, cyclists and dog owners, that is the reason to live here. The Martin Goodman Trail runs along this shore toward downtown.

The trade-off is the density. Humber Bay Shores has many towers on a small road network, with Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner as the main ways in and out, so drive it at rush hour before you commit. The lands around Park Lawn Road to the north are also lined up for major redevelopment, which will bring more people and, eventually, more shops and services within walking distance.

If you are moving from a house, spend a weekday evening and a Saturday here before you buy. The lake is the draw, but you should be comfortable with elevators at peak times and a busy local street grid.

Pricing: a view premium with a predictable fee

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $905 per square foot, which is at the upper end for Humber Bay Shores. You are paying for height and the lake-facing upper floors, and the average is pulled up by the larger corner suites.

Fees on the active listings I reviewed came to about $0.73 per square foot. With heat and air conditioning listed as included, that is good value on paper, and better than it looks next to towers that exclude them.

When I checked, 13 suites were for sale and 9 were for rent, which is a lot of choice. One-bedrooms of 500 to 599 square feet were asking from about $399,000 to $525,000. One-plus-dens and a two-bedroom in the 600 to 799 square foot range were asking from about $590,000 to $600,000. With that much supply, I would expect sellers to negotiate, especially on lower floors. Before you offer, ask your agent for the recent sold range on the same exposure and floor band, not just the building average, because the view premium here is real and uneven.

Building specifications

Amenities at Vita on the Lake

Condos.ca lists a concierge, a gym and a party room. UrbanToronto’s launch coverage also describes a yoga studio, lounges, a bar and dining room, and an outdoor pool with a barbecue lounge, so confirm what was actually delivered and is open before you count on the pool.

Jatin’s honest take on Vita on the Lake

Vita on the Lake — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.