Claridges, 12 Rean Dr: The Amica Retirement Condo at Bayview Village

Claridges is the only building in this part of North York that was planned from day one as a retirement condo. Daniels built it with Amica Mature Lifestyles beside the Amica at Bayview residence, and it was sold to owners who wanted to buy their suite rather than rent one. That history explains almost everything about how it lives and who it suits today. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A condo designed around a retirement residence

When Claridges was marketed in 2004 as “Claridges, Amica at Bayview,” the pitch was a retirement lifestyle you could own. Globe and Mail coverage that year described it as designed to sit alongside the existing Amica at Bayview rental retirement community, within Daniels’ NY Towers community.

The marketing said owners would have access to Amica’s services next door: dining, an English-style pub, a home theatre, a fitness centre, an aquafit pool, a library lounge and a shuttle bus for outings. The building itself was to have its own Claridges Club space with a games and party room and a terrace with a rose garden.

That was the plan nearly 20 years ago. What I could not confirm is how the arrangement with Amica works now: which services owners can still use, whether they are included or charged per use, and what agreement sits behind them. Ask for that in writing and read it alongside the status certificate.

What the original suites were like

The 2004 sales material described one-bedroom, one-bedroom-plus-den and two-bedroom suites, with eight- to ten-foot ceilings depending on the plan. Finishes included engineered hardwood or broadloom, granite counters, six appliances and an undermount sink, and each suite came with a balcony, patio or terrace.

The sizes are where sources disagree. The Globe described suites of roughly 720 to 1,660 square feet, while condos.ca shows a range of about 449 to 3,136 square feet. Plans can change between marketing and registration, and the original plan was for 125 suites where condos.ca now lists 112, so some suites may have been combined. Treat the floor plan and the status certificate as the final word.

Parking, lockers and an easy building to get around

Each suite was sold with one underground parking space and a storage locker, and the 2004 marketing mentioned lockers on the same floor as the suite. For an older owner, not having to go down to the garage for the luggage is a real convenience. Confirm on the status certificate that the parking and locker units are still attached to the suite you are buying.

Condos.ca also lists a security guard, an elevator, a party room and a meeting room. For a nine-storey building with fewer than 120 suites, that is a sensible package, and it keeps the lobby quiet.

Across from Bayview Village

The location is the second half of the appeal. Bayview Village Shopping Centre is across the street, and the 2004 coverage pointed to a library, a small park, the subway and Highway 401 nearby. For someone who wants to give up the car, groceries, a pharmacy and coffee within walking distance matter more than any amenity room.

Rean Drive is also a quieter side street than Sheppard itself. The data panel on this page shows the transit options and nearby parks.

Who buys here, and who you will sell to

A building designed for one stage of life has a particular resale market. Most of your future buyers will be retirees, or families buying for a parent, and many of them will want the Amica connection to be clear before they commit. That is a smaller group than the buyers for a standard two-bedroom near the subway.

It is not a reason to avoid Claridges, but it is a reason to buy with a long hold in mind. Owners who use the setting for ten years or more are the ones who get the most out of it. If you think you may need to sell within two or three years, price that smaller buyer pool into your offer.

The other side of that is stability. A building full of owner-occupiers who chose it on purpose tends to have engaged owners and a calm lobby, which is exactly what most buyers here are looking for.

Low price per square foot, and why

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $636 per square foot, well below the roughly $805 at St. Gabriel Village a short walk away. The building is older, it was designed for a narrow buyer group, and the resale market for an age-oriented building is smaller, which keeps prices down.

That lower price comes with one of the more complete fees in the area. Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, building insurance, parking, water and air conditioning, leaving hydro as the main utility on your own account. For a retiree on a fixed income, a fee that covers heat makes the monthly budget much easier to predict.

There was only one suite listed for sale when I checked, so there is no meaningful asking range to quote. The building’s recorded sales in the data panel are the better guide, and I would compare them with other older condos near Bayview and Sheppard rather than with the newer towers.

When you look at those sales, separate the suite types. A one-bedroom-plus-den and a two-bedroom here appeal to the same retired buyer but at different budgets, and a single sale of a large or combined suite can distort an average in a building this small.

Building specifications

Amenities at Claridges

On its own, the building has a modest amenity list: a security guard, a party room, a meeting room and parking. The original idea was that Amica at Bayview next door would provide the rest, from dining to a pool, so the real question is what access owners have to those services today.

Jatin’s honest take on Claridges

Claridges — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.