The Palisades III, 195 Wynford Dr: Big 1990 Suites, Utilities Included

The Palisades III is what a lot of buyers say they want and then overlook: real square footage, an indoor pool, a security desk and a fee that covers hydro, heat and parking, at a price per square foot well below most of Toronto. The catch is that it is a 1990 tower, and the value depends on how well it has been looked after. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Part of the Palisades group on Wynford

The Palisades III stands beside The Palisades II at 205 Wynford Drive, and listing databases show a third building called The Palisades at 215 Wynford. Each is a separate condominium corporation. The Palisades II is MTCC-897, registered three months before this building, and this one is MTCC-934.

SkyscraperPage credits The Palisades II to Webb Zerafa Menkes Housden, the firm behind the CN Tower and Scotia Plaza, with Canderel Stoneridge as developer. I could not find a reliable source confirming the same team for The Palisades III, so I treat that as likely but unverified. The original declaration on title will name the declarant.

Because the buildings sit side by side and look related, people assume they share finances. They do not. Each has its own board, budget and reserve fund, so compare them individually.

That independence cuts both ways. A building that has kept up with its windows, garage and mechanical work can trade at a premium to its neighbour even though they look the same from the street. When I price a suite here, I compare it with sales in this tower first, and only then with the buildings next door, adjusting for fee, condition and exposure.

Suites sized like houses, with a few smaller ones

Condos.ca lists suites from about 724 to 2,778 square feet. That is the defining fact of this building. Even the smaller plans are generous by 2020s standards, and the large ones are the size of a detached house, built at a time when downsizers from Don Mills and Leaside wanted to bring their furniture with them.

Compared with The Palisades II next door, where the smallest suites start at about 1,368 square feet, this building has more range at the entry end. That widens the buyer pool on resale and gives a couple or small family a way in without buying a 2,000-square-foot suite.

Expect layouts of that period: separate kitchens and dining rooms rather than open-plan, more hallway, and bedrooms with real closets. Many suites will have been updated and some will not. Budget for renovation if you buy original, and check the corporation’s rules on flooring and plumbing work before you plan one.

A fee that covers almost everything

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering air conditioning, common elements, heat, hydro, building insurance, parking and water. With an indoor pool, sauna, gym and security staff on top, that adds up to a large monthly number in dollars, especially for big suites.

Judge it as a whole housing cost, not a fee. In a newer building you would pay hydro, often heat and air conditioning, and parking on top of a lower fee. Here the building pays those in bulk. The risk is that utility and staffing costs rise for everyone together, and older central systems are less efficient than modern ones.

The single suite listed for sale when I checked is not enough to quote a range, so I am not putting a fee per square foot on this page. Ask for the current budget and the last three years of fee increases, which tell you more than any single number. A steady pattern of modest increases is a good sign; flat fees followed by a sudden jump usually mean the reserve fund fell behind.

Wynford Drive is changing around you

For years this pocket was defined by office buildings, the Don Valley Parkway and the Ontario Science Centre at Don Mills and Eglinton. The Science Centre closed permanently in June 2024, and Line 5 Eglinton opened in 2026 with stops in the area including one named Wynford. The data panel on this page covers the transit details.

More is coming. The former Celestica lands at 844 Don Mills Road are being redeveloped as Crosstown, with a large recreation centre, townhomes, condos and retail, and the Ontario Line will add an interchange with Line 5 at Don Valley. That brings new amenities and new competition: thousands of new suites will be offered nearby over the next decade.

Low price per square foot, high monthly cost

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $537 per square foot. For a high-rise with a pool and staffed security, that is far below most of Toronto, and even below many newer North York condos. Large suites drive the average down, because big older suites sell for less per square foot than compact new ones.

The trade-off is the monthly carrying cost. The fee covers utilities and parking, so it will look high next to a newer building, and you should compare total monthly costs rather than fees. With only one suite listed for sale when I checked, I am not quoting an asking range.

In practice, the low price per square foot is what makes this building interesting. A buyer can get two to three times the space of a downtown one-bedroom for a similar price. Ask me for the building sold report to see recent trades as aggregates.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Palisades III

An indoor pool, sauna and gym, with a security guard and a parking garage, is the classic package of a large 1990 tower. It means you can swim and train without leaving the building, but the pool is also one of the most expensive things the corporation maintains, and you pay for it whether you use it or not.

Jatin’s honest take on The Palisades III

The Palisades III — frequently asked questions

Looking at Leslieville, Riverdale, the Beaches, Danforth and Leaside more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.