Skypark, 255 Bamburgh Cir: 1,100-Plus Sq Ft Suites From the 1980s

Skypark at 255 Bamburgh Circle has no small suites. The smallest plan here is roughly 1,143 square feet, which makes it one of the few condo buildings in Toronto where a starter suite is the size of a family home. It was marketed in the early 1980s as high-rise luxury in the suburbs, with a recreation centre and a private park, and that is still the right way to think about it, with a 40-year-old building’s costs attached. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Sold as high-rise luxury in suburbia

A Toronto Star photo from January 1982, run with an article titled “High-rise luxury in suburbia,” shows the Sky Park condominiums on Bamburgh Circle, east of Warden Avenue. The caption describes an indoor-outdoor recreation centre and a private park surrounded by three luxury condominium towers.

That was the pitch for a whole generation of Scarborough condos: house-sized suites, resort-style amenities and landscaped grounds, aimed at owners moving out of detached homes. Skypark, completed in 1984, is part of a cluster on Bamburgh Circle that also includes Monterey at 175 and Vista at 275. I could not confirm which three towers the 1982 caption referred to, or who the original developer was.

Today the corporation is MTCC-634, and condos.ca lists Del Property Management as the manager. Like any building of this age, its condition depends far more on 40 years of board decisions than on how it was marketed.

Every suite is a big suite

Suites run from roughly 1,143 to 2,188 square feet. There are no studios and no compact one-bedrooms here, so the building competes with townhouses and small detached homes more than with new condos. Even the smallest plan is larger than most new three-bedroom condos.

That size profile shapes who lives here. Expect long-term owners, downsizers and families rather than a large rental pool, and expect room for real furniture. It also means fewer buyers can afford the largest suites, which tends to slow resale at the top end.

Interiors range widely after 40 years. Ask what has been replaced in the suite, from windows and the heating and cooling unit to electrical and plumbing, and budget for a renovation if the suite is still close to original.

Large suites also mean a large share of the common expenses. In Ontario, each suite’s portion of the budget and of any special assessment is set by its proportionate share in the declaration, so the biggest suites pay the most. Check the share for the suite you are considering, not just the monthly figure.

Hydro is in the fee. Parking may not be.

Condos.ca lists hydro, heat, air conditioning, water, cable TV, building insurance and common elements as included. That covers nearly all of your utilities, which matters in a suite this size, where a hydro and heating bill of your own would be substantial.

Unlike the Skygarden towers on Bridletowne Circle, parking is not on the inclusions list here. That may mean parking is owned or leased separately, or it may simply be missing from the listing data. Confirm in the status certificate whether the suite has an owned or exclusive-use space, what it costs if anything, and whether a locker comes with it.

With utilities bundled, energy prices flow into the corporation’s budget, and from there into your fee. Ask to see how the budget has moved over the last few years.

The Bamburgh Circle setting

Bamburgh Circle is a loop of towers just east of Warden Avenue, in the Steeles neighbourhood between McNicoll Avenue and Steeles Avenue. The setting was designed around the buildings’ own grounds and recreation facilities, and it still reads as a tower-in-the-park community rather than a busy street frontage.

For larger shopping, Bridlewood Mall at Warden and Finch is the nearby enclosed mall, with grocery stores and a public library according to UrbanToronto. Most residents drive or take the bus for errands, and the transit, school and walkability figures for this address are shown in the panel on this page.

If you are comparing towers on the circle, look at Monterey and Vista side by side with Skypark. They share a location, but each is its own corporation with its own fees, reserve fund and condition.

The 1982 marketing promised a private park, and the grounds are still part of the appeal. Ask how the landscaping, outdoor pool deck and walkways are maintained and budgeted, because grounds of this scale are a cost every owner shares.

What Skypark costs per square foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $367 per square foot. That is lower than the Skygarden towers on Bridletowne Circle at about $396 to $398, which is what you would expect with an even larger average suite size here.

When I checked, a single suite was listed for sale and none for lease. With one listing, I will not quote its asking price or fee. Very thin listing activity is normal in a building of large, owner-occupied suites, and it means past sales matter more than current competition when you set a price.

Compare the total purchase price, not just the per-foot figure. A suite of 1,500 square feet at the building average is still a substantial sum, so set your budget first and then see which plans fit. For many downsizers, the sale of a detached house covers that comfortably and leaves room for a renovation.

If you want to see what comparable suites have actually sold for here, I can pull them through my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Skypark

Indoor and outdoor pools and a sauna are the heart of the amenity package, in keeping with the recreation-centre pitch the project was sold on. For owners who use them, that replaces a club membership; for everyone, it is a significant reserve fund line in a 1984 building.

Jatin’s honest take on Skypark

Skypark — 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.