The Copenhagen, 2 Glamorgan Ave: Big 1972 Suites at Under $300 a Foot

The Copenhagen at 2 Glamorgan Avenue is what I show buyers who need real square footage and have a hard budget ceiling. Suites here start near 880 square feet, and the building trades around $297 a square foot, which is a number most of Toronto left behind years ago. The catch is a 1972 building and a monthly fee that does a lot of the work your mortgage would otherwise do. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A Danish name, and probably a Danish building system

The developer on record is Jespersen-Kay Systems Limited. Jespersen was a Danish system for building apartment blocks out of prefabricated parts and precast concrete panels, and the rights to it were being licensed internationally in the 1960s. A 1972 building called The Copenhagen, put up by a company carrying that name, fits the pattern.

I want to be careful here. I could not find a record that confirms this specific building used the Jespersen panel method, so treat it as a strong hint rather than a fact. If you are serious about a suite, ask the property manager or look at the engineering section of the reserve fund study, which should describe the structure and cladding.

Why it matters: in a panel-built tower the joints between panels, and the sealant in them, are a maintenance item in their own right. That is not a defect. It is simply a line you want to see planned and funded in the reserve study, alongside windows, balconies and the roof.

The space is the reason to be here

Suites at The Copenhagen run from about 882 to 1,384 square feet. That is the size of a small house floor, not a condo. Every listing on the market as I write this is a two-bedroom in the 900 to 999 square foot band, which tells you where most of the stock sits, with larger plans above that.

Compare that with what a first-time buyer gets in a new Scarborough tower, where a one-bedroom-plus-den under 600 square feet is normal. Here the same budget buys a separate dining area, real closets and bedrooms that fit a queen bed with room to walk around it.

You are buying 1972 interiors, though, unless a previous owner has renovated. Expect to budget for kitchens, bathrooms and flooring, and check what the building allows for renovation work before you plan anything structural.

One more point on layouts: in a building this old, the floor plan you see may not be the original. Some owners will have opened kitchens or removed closets. Ask whether that work had board approval, because an unapproved alteration can become your problem after closing.

The fee: what it covers and what it costs you

Condos.ca lists the fee as covering common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is not on that list, so plan on paying your own electricity, and confirm how suites are metered with the manager.

Current listings carry fees of about $0.89 a square foot. On a 950 square foot suite that is roughly $845 a month, which is the real cost of owning here. At an asking price in the low $400,000s with 20% down and a 4.5% rate over 25 years, the mortgage is roughly $1,870 a month, so the fee is close to half of it.

That is the trade at The Copenhagen. The purchase price is low and the monthly carrying cost is not. Run the numbers on the total monthly payment, not the price, and compare that with renting a similar-sized two-bedroom before you decide.

Security, rules and the building’s routine

The amenity list is practical rather than glamorous: a security guard and security system, a rec room, a media room, a meeting room, bike storage and visitor parking. A staffed front in a 183-suite building is a genuine plus for older owners and for anyone who travels.

Condos.ca also flags a pet restriction. I do not know the exact terms, and you should not guess. Read the declaration and rules in the status certificate before you bring a dog to a showing, let alone to closing.

The data panel on this page shows transit, schools, nearby stores and parks for this address, so I will not repeat them here. What I would add is that at 12 storeys and 183 suites, this is a mid-sized building where the elevators, laundry rules and move-in bookings are shared by a manageable number of neighbours.

Pricing: the per-foot number is the headline

The building average sits around $297 per square foot. For context, 360 at the City Centre, a 2006 Tridel tower by Scarborough Town Centre, trades around $591 a foot. You are paying roughly half per foot here, and the difference is age, amenities and fees.

Three listings are on the market, asking between $399,900 and $439,000. With fees around $0.89 a square foot that include heat and parking, the gap between this and a newer building narrows once you add those costs back to the newer building, but it does not disappear.

A large suite at a low price also changes the investor maths. Rent for a two-bedroom here has to cover a fee near $845 before it covers any mortgage, so check the rent figures in the panel against the full carrying cost before you treat this as a rental.

For actual sold prices, the 12-month TRREB figures in the panel above are the better guide than asking prices. If you want a closer read on one suite, my building sold report covers it.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Copenhagen

There is no pool or gym on the list I have, so this is a building you choose for the suite, not the facilities. The staffed security and the rec and media rooms are what you get day to day.

Jatin’s honest take on The Copenhagen

The Copenhagen — 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.