Encore at Crystal Towers, 8 Covington Rd: Big Suites Near Bathurst

Encore at Crystal Towers is a building for people who want house-sized rooms without a house-sized price. Its suites run from about 730 to just over 2,000 square feet, and the building’s average price per square foot sits well below what midtown condos ask. The trade-off is a fee that does not cover heat or hydro, in a building now 26 years old. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The second of two Crystal Towers buildings

The name tells you the history. Encore is the follow-up to Crystal Towers at 2 Covington Road, an earlier condominium on the same short street. Encore is a separate corporation with its own board, budget and reserve fund, and at 15 storeys and 164 suites it is the larger of the pair. When you compare the two, compare their status certificates, not just their lobbies.

Condos.ca lists the developer as Emporis. That name belongs to a well-known building database, so I suspect it is a data error rather than the real builder. I could not confirm the developer or architect from a reliable source, and I would not rely on either until you see it in the status certificate or the original declaration.

What I can tell you is the type of building this is. Late-1990s and early-2000s towers along Bathurst were built for local downsizers, not for investors, and the suite sizes here show it.

Suites sized like a house, not a condo

Condos.ca puts the suite range at about 728 to 2,098 square feet. The bottom of that range is a generous one-bedroom-plus-den by modern standards, and the top end is larger than many semi-detached houses in the area.

The three suites listed for sale when I checked were all two-bedrooms, which matches what I see in buildings of this age on Bathurst: the stock is weighted toward large two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den plans with separate dining rooms, rather than compact one-bedrooms. In my experience, a suite mix like that draws more owner-occupiers than investors, because large two-bedrooms rarely make the numbers work as rentals.

Large plans from this era usually have more hallway, closed kitchens and smaller windows than a new build. Walk the suite with a tape measure and a plan in hand. Some owners have opened up kitchens; others are close to original, and that difference matters more to value than the floor you are on.

What the fee does and does not cover

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water as included. Heat and hydro are not on that list, so expect to pay for both yourself. In a large suite, that is a meaningful monthly cost, especially in winter.

That matters when you compare fees with older Bathurst buildings where heat or hydro is bundled in. The quoted fee here can look similar to an all-inclusive building’s, while your real monthly cost is higher once you add your own utility bills. Ask the seller for 12 months of hydro and heating bills.

In a building of 164 suites, fee increases are shared across more owners than in a boutique building, which helps. It also means the reserve fund is large and worth reading in detail, because the costs it covers are large too.

A neighbourhood at the edge of a big change

Directly west of Bathurst is the area covered by the Lawrence-Allen Secondary Plan, which runs from Bathurst Street to Dufferin Street between Lawrence Avenue West and Highway 401. When City Council passed it, the plan allowed for replacing about 1,208 social housing units in Lawrence Heights and adding about 4,400 market units over more than two decades.

That article is from 2012, and the plan was always meant to unfold in phases over decades, so check the City’s current phasing before you buy. For owners here it means two things. There will be long stretches of construction to the west, and the area will gain new streets, parks and many new neighbours. Over time, that new housing will also compete with resale suites in older buildings like this one, which is one more reason to buy a suite with a layout and condition that stand out.

Day to day, this is a practical location. Bathurst Street gives you groceries, bakeries and everyday services, Lawrence Avenue runs east to Yonge, and Allen Road and Highway 401 are close for drivers. The panel shows the nearest subway, the zoned schools and the Walk Score.

Large suites at a mid-range price per foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $608 per square foot. That is well below the per-foot prices of newer condos in midtown and along Yonge, and it is the main reason buyers look here: you get a large suite for the price of a much smaller one closer in.

Three suites were listed for sale when I checked, asking between $799,000 and $899,000, and each carried a monthly fee of about $1,136. Because heat and hydro are extra, that fee is only part of your monthly cost.

To judge value, divide the fee by the declared square footage of the suite and compare it with buildings that include heat. Then look at the reserve fund. At 26 years old, the building is in the window where big-ticket items are coming due, and that shows up either in the reserve fund or later in your fee.

If you want recent sales for a specific layout, I can pull them for you. Book a call and I will walk you through what similar suites have actually sold for.

Building specifications

Amenities at Encore at Crystal Towers

The package is built around service rather than recreation: a concierge, guest suites for visiting family, a party room and a meeting room. For downsizers who host family on holidays and want someone at the front desk, that is more useful than a big gym.

Jatin’s honest take on Encore at Crystal Towers

Encore at Crystal Towers — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.