Fairmont Place, 2721 Victoria Park Ave: Small 1970s Tower, Few Listings

Fairmont Place is one of the smallest towers in this part of Scarborough, and that is what makes it interesting. With only 88 suites over 15 storeys, you get a quiet building where neighbours know each other, and a fee that covers every utility down to cable. You also get thin resale activity and a small group of owners to share every repair bill. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small tower in a neighbourhood of big ones

Most 1970s condo towers in L’Amoreaux are large, with 200 to 450 suites. Fairmont Place has 88. On 15 storeys that works out to only about six suites per floor, which means short corridors, fewer people at the elevator and a building that feels closer to a mid-rise than a slab tower.

The developer was Noldon Investments, a name that has not been active in the market for decades. The dates differ slightly between sources: condos.ca says 1974, the corporation was registered in September 1974, and the ACO Toronto record lists completion in 1975 based on city directories that first show the building in 1976. That is normal for a building that registered before it was fully occupied.

Its corporation number, YCC-162, places it among the first generation of Toronto-area condominiums, registered under the old York County numbering. Ontario’s condominium law dates only from the late 1960s, so this building has been through every stage of condo life, from the first boards to its first major rebuilds.

Small corporations have a particular character. Board meetings are easier to follow, decisions can move faster, and it is easier to know who is responsible for what. The flip side is that a few owners can carry a lot of influence, and there are fewer people available to serve on the board. Ask how often the board turns over and read the last few years of minutes before you commit.

Suites that are all roughly the same size

Condos.ca records suites from about 841 to 953 sq ft, a narrow range. In practice, that means the building is made up of one basic family of plans rather than a mix of studios and penthouses. At those sizes, most suites are two-bedroom layouts with space for a proper dining table.

A uniform building is easy to compare. When a suite comes up, it is usually up against suites of very similar size and layout, so the price differences come down to floor, view, exposure and condition. That makes it easier to judge whether a suite is fairly priced.

Condition is where suites will differ most. In a building of this age, some suites will have been fully renovated and others will have original kitchens, bathrooms and flooring. Price the suite you see, not the best one that sold.

Every utility in the fee

Condos.ca lists cable TV, air conditioning, heat, hydro, water, building insurance, common elements and parking as included. That is the most complete fee list you will find. Apart from internet and contents insurance, your fee is your cost of running the home.

That kind of fee looks high on paper next to a newer building, but you have to add back the hydro, heating, cooling and parking bills you would pay elsewhere before you compare. For many buyers, a single predictable monthly number is worth a lot.

The risk is that a small building shares rising energy and repair costs among only 88 owners. Ask the manager for the fee history over the past five years, and whether any energy upgrades have been done or are planned.

On Victoria Park, at the Scarborough edge

The building sits on Victoria Park Avenue just north of Sheppard Avenue East. Victoria Park is the boundary between Scarborough and North York here, so you are on the western edge of Scarborough, with North York directly across the street.

That position gives you access in both directions. You are close to the Sheppard Avenue corridor and to the 401 and 404 for driving, and the established neighbourhoods of L’Amoreaux and Tam O’Shanter-Sullivan around you are quiet and residential.

Victoria Park is a busy arterial road, so ask about traffic noise if the suite faces the street. The data panel on this page shows transit, schools and walking scores for this address.

What Fairmont Place costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $437 per square foot. That is higher than many of the large 1970s towers nearby, such as Corinthian Towers at 2550 Pharmacy Avenue at about $350 and Bridletowne II at 3131 Bridletowne Circle at about $390. Small buildings with a complete fee often earn a modest premium.

When I checked, nothing was listed for sale or for lease. That is the real challenge with an 88-suite building: listings are rare, and you may wait months for one that suits you.

With no active listings, asking prices give you no guide at all. Recent sold prices are the only reliable benchmark, and I can pull them for this building through my building sold report. If you are set on Fairmont Place, set up an alert so you hear the moment a suite comes up. Because so few suites trade, a single sale can move the building average noticeably, so treat the per-square-foot figure as a guide rather than a fixed number.

Building specifications

Amenities at Fairmont Place

An outdoor pool, a sauna and a gym are a lot of amenity for an 88-suite building, and they are part of why the fee is what it is. In a small corporation, the cost of keeping a pool running falls on fewer owners, so check how it is funded in the reserve fund study.

Jatin’s honest take on Fairmont Place

Fairmont Place — frequently asked questions

Looking at Agincourt, L’Amoreaux, Milliken, Dorset Park and Wexford in Scarborough more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.