15 Torrance Rd: A 195-Suite 1977 Tower With an All-In Fee

15 Torrance Road is a straightforward value play: a big 1977 tower near Eglinton and Bellamy where the fee covers heat, hydro and cable and the asking prices start well below $400,000. You are buying space and simplicity, not new finishes. What separates a good purchase here from a bad one is the paperwork, not the view. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A large 1970s corporation

At 19 storeys and 195 suites, 15 Torrance is one of the bigger condominiums in Eglinton East. Size works in an owner’s favour in an older building: when the garage, the roof or the windows need major work, the bill is shared among many owners rather than a few dozen.

The developer was Charter Global Developments, according to both condos.ca and liv.rent. The building registered in April 1977, which puts it in the same generation as most of the towers along this stretch of Eglinton.

A building of this age has already been through at least one cycle of major replacements, and a second cycle is likely under way or ahead. The useful thing about a 49-year-old corporation is that its history is on paper, so you can see what has been done and what is due.

A large corporation also means a busier building: more move-ins, more elevator traffic and more shared spaces to manage. How well that is handled depends on the board and the manager, so ask about elevator maintenance and moving rules, and read how the last few annual general meetings went.

Suite sizes, and a small conflict in the data

Liv.rent describes suites here as running from about 979 to 1,200 square feet, with several layouts and exposures. At least one current listing, however, reports a size in the 800 to 899 square foot band, so the smallest plans are probably below liv.rent’s figure. Ask for the floor plan and the measured area of the specific suite.

Either way, this is a building of one-bedroom-plus-den, two-bedroom and two-bedroom-plus-den suites, nearly all of them larger than the equivalent in a new condo. Older plans tend to give you separate rooms and storage rather than one open space.

Finishes vary from original to fully renovated. In a building where most suites are similar in size, condition is what really separates one listing from the next, so price the renovation honestly.

Parking is included in the fee, which is worth real money here because most residents drive. Confirm whether the suite comes with one space or more, whether it is owned or exclusive-use, and whether a locker is attached. Those details are specific to each suite in an older building and belong in the status certificate, not just the listing.

An outdoor pool and a full recreation floor

The amenity list is long for a 1977 building: an outdoor pool, a sauna, a gym, a games room, a recreation room, party and meeting rooms, a security system, an underground garage and visitor parking.

An outdoor pool costs less to run than an indoor one, but it is a seasonal amenity, open in summer only. If year-round swimming matters to you, Sterling Club II nearby on McCowan Road has an indoor pool and a squash court, at the cost of being a different age and fee structure.

Condos.ca lists a pet restriction. I have not seen the exact wording, so check the declaration and rules in the status certificate before you buy with a pet.

Living near Eglinton and Bellamy

Torrance Road is a side street near Eglinton Avenue East and Bellamy Road North, among older towers, low-rise homes and plazas. It is a practical, car-friendly address with bus service on the main roads; the panel on this page shows the transit routes, schools and food options around the building.

The City’s planned Eglinton East light rail line, now called the Scarborough East Rapid Transit project, would put light rail in the middle of Eglinton Avenue East from Kennedy Station to Malvern Town Centre, with 27 stops and new bikeways and wider sidewalks. It is still in planning, with no published opening date.

To the north, the Line 2 subway extension is under construction with stations planned at Lawrence and McCowan, Scarborough Centre and Sheppard and McCowan. Neither project changes daily life today, but both point to better access over the next decade.

Asking prices and fee per square foot

There were five suites for sale when I checked, asking between $365,000 and $460,000. Their fees ran from about $862 to $996 a month, which condos.ca puts at roughly $0.99 per square foot. Condos.ca did not show a building average price per square foot.

A fee near $1 per square foot looks high next to a new building, but this one includes heat, hydro, cable and parking. Add those back to a newer condo’s monthly cost and the gap narrows a great deal.

The asking range is fairly tight across five listings, which suggests the market here prices suites mainly on size and condition. A renovated suite at the top of the range and a dated one at the bottom can be closer in real value than they look once you account for the cost of a new kitchen and bathroom.

With five listings at once, buyers have room to negotiate and compare. Measure each suite against the others on size, condition and floor, and use my building sold report for the aggregate record of what has actually sold here.

Building specifications

Amenities at 15 Torrance

You get a summer pool, a sauna and gym, and enough rooms for parties, meetings and games that residents can host without booking a hall. It is a generous list for the age, and a large owner base helps carry the cost.

Jatin’s honest take on 15 Torrance

15 Torrance — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.