Stonegate Villas, 1000 Sheppard Ave W: 50-Suite Low-Rise by Downsview

Stonegate Villas is about as far from a tower as a Toronto condo gets. It is a three-storey, 50-suite low-rise on Sheppard Avenue West, built in 1996, with no concierge, no gym and a price per foot that looks unusually low. Whether that is a bargain depends on the fee, the building’s condition and what is coming to the Downsview lands nearby. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A three-storey building with two addresses

Stonegate Villas uses two street numbers, 988 and 1000 Sheppard Avenue West, under one condominium corporation. With 50 suites over three storeys, it is closer in feel to a walk-up apartment complex than a condo tower: a small entrance, an enterphone system, and neighbours you will see in the hallway rather than in an elevator lobby.

Condos.ca lists the developer as 1000 Sheppard Ave West, which is a company named after the site rather than a known builder. I could not confirm the builder or architect from a reliable source, so I am not going to guess.

Low-rise condos like this are uncommon on major arterials in North York, and they attract a different buyer from towers: people who dislike elevators and high floors, or who want a smaller community with fewer shared costs.

Suites from compact to large

Condos.ca puts the suite range at about 600 to 1,607 square feet. That is a wide spread for a 50-suite building, and it suggests a mix that runs from one-bedrooms to large two-bedroom or three-bedroom plans.

The suites at 988 and 1000 Sheppard are numbered differently, which usually reflects different building sections. Ask the listing agent which section a suite is in, which floor it is on and what it faces. On a three-storey building on a busy road, a suite facing the rear can be far quieter than one facing Sheppard.

Ground-floor and top-floor suites each have trade-offs in a low-rise. Ground floors give you easy access and sometimes a patio, while top floors give you more privacy and no one overhead. Check ceiling heights and window sizes in person, because they vary more in low-rise buildings than in towers.

A short amenity list and a fee to read carefully

The amenity list is minimal: an underground parking garage, visitor parking, a security system and an enterphone. There is no concierge, gym or party room on the list I found. For many owners that is the point, because they are not paying for services they would never use.

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water as included. Heat and hydro are not on that list, so expect to pay both yourself, and ask the seller for a year of bills.

The catch with a 50-suite building is that every cost is shared among few owners. A new roof, a garage membrane or a window program costs roughly the same whether a building has 50 suites or 150, so each owner’s share is larger here. Ask for the fee schedule and the reserve fund study before you compare the fee with bigger buildings.

Condos.ca lists pets among the building’s features, but I could not find the rules. Read the declaration if you have a pet.

Between Bathurst Manor and Downsview

Bathurst Manor runs north from Sheppard Avenue West to Finch, between Dufferin Street and the West Don River. It was built mostly between 1954 and the early 1960s as a suburban neighbourhood of houses, and it remains one of the established communities along Bathurst, with Sheppard Plaza at Sheppard and Bathurst and the Irving W. Chapley Community Centre among its landmarks.

Close by to the south and west are the Downsview lands. Bombardier announced in 2018 that it would leave the Downsview Airport by 2024, and the City’s Update Downsview study produced a new secondary plan for the area bounded by Keele Street, Wilson Heights Boulevard, Sheppard Avenue and Highway 401. The lands are now held by Northcrest Developments for the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, and by Canada Lands Company.

Over the coming decades, that plan points to a large new community of homes, jobs and parks on former airport lands. For owners here, it means construction in the years ahead and more shops and services over time. The subway station at Sheppard and Allen Road opened in 1996, the same year as this building; the panel shows how far it is.

A low price per foot, read with care

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $366 per square foot. That is very low for Toronto, even for a 1996 low-rise in North York. Some of the gap reflects the building type and age, and some likely reflects how few sales happen in a 50-suite building, which can pull an average up or down sharply.

One suite was listed for sale when I checked, so there is no meaningful asking range to report. With so few listings, the medians in the panel may rest on a small number of sales; read them as a guide rather than a precise value.

A low price per foot can hide a high fee or a capital project that is coming. Before you treat this building as a bargain, look at the monthly fee per square foot, the reserve fund balance against the study’s recommendations, and the last two years of board minutes.

If you want recent sales for a specific suite type, book a call and I will walk you through what similar suites have actually sold for.

Building specifications

Amenities at Stonegate Villas

This is a no-frills building: secure entry, underground parking and visitor spots, and nothing you would need to book. That keeps the services side of the budget small, though in a 50-suite building the structure itself still carries the same big-ticket costs as a larger one.

Jatin’s honest take on Stonegate Villas

Stonegate Villas — 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.