Kingston Heights, 3311 Kingston Rd: Outdoor Pool, Fee Covers Hydro

Kingston Heights is one of the cheapest ways I know to own a full-size condo suite within reach of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is a modest 1991 building of 150 suites with an outdoor pool, and the fee covers hydro, heat, cable, parking and water. It also sits on a stretch of Kingston Road that developers have started to notice, which is worth understanding before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small, single-purpose building from 1991

Kingston Heights was built by a company named for the project itself, Kingston Heights Developments, which is typical of single-building developers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There is no big brand behind it and no long public record of the builder to research. The building’s own documents are what count.

At 150 suites over 14 storeys, it is small for a high-rise. Fewer owners share the cost of every roof, elevator and boiler replacement, which can make special projects heavier per suite, but it also means a board that tends to know the building well. Read a few years of minutes to see which of those two realities dominates here.

The corporation was registered in August 1991, so the building is now past 30 years. That is the period when windows, balcony membranes, the pool’s mechanical equipment, the garage and the original heating plant all need money.

Pro-House Management Ltd is listed as the manager on condos.ca. Whoever runs it, ask for the last two years of audited financial statements, the most recent reserve fund study and any notices sent to owners about upcoming work. In a small corporation, one large project can change the fee picture quickly, and those three documents show you whether it is coming.

Layouts: real square footage at a low price per foot

Condos.ca records suites from about 653 to 1,377 square feet. That spans a compact one-bedroom up to a three-bedroom-sized plan, and the two-bedrooms in the 700 to 900 square foot range are what most often come to market.

The appeal is simple arithmetic. With the building averaging about $421 per square foot on condos.ca, a two-bedroom here costs far less than a one-bedroom in most newer Toronto towers. You give up modern finishes, in-suite energy efficiency and, often, open-concept kitchens, so budget for updates if the suite has not been renovated.

Ask early whether ensuite laundry is in the suite you are viewing, and whether parking and a locker are deeded or assigned. In buildings of this age those details vary, and they matter at resale.

An outdoor pool and a fee that covers hydro

The outdoor pool is the feature buyers remember. Few buildings in this price band still run one, and in summer it is a genuine perk for families and for anyone who would otherwise drive to a public pool. It also costs money to maintain, which shows up in the budget and the reserve fund.

The fee includes hydro, heat, cable, water and parking as well as common elements and insurance. That makes the monthly cost easy to plan, but it also ties your fee to the building’s energy bill. If energy costs climb, the fee follows.

Kingston Road is changing around it

This part of Kingston Road has been drawing mid-rise proposals. In 2021 UrbanToronto reported Morrison Group’s plan for an 11-storey, 323-unit condominium at 3310 Kingston Road, which by the street numbers sits almost directly across from this building. In 2022 it covered LCH Developments’ proposal for an 11-storey, 309-unit building at 3291 Kingston Road and two lots on Windy Ridge Drive, just to the west.

I cannot tell you from those articles whether either project has been approved or started, so check their current status. For an owner here, new mid-rise neighbours bring a mix of things: more people supporting local retail, construction disruption for a few years, and new suites competing with yours at resale.

Day to day, Kingston Road here is a wide arterial lined with apartment buildings, townhomes and low-rise plazas rather than a walkable main street. Most errands are a short drive or a bus ride. If you want to walk to cafes and shops, this is not the building, but if you want space, quiet side streets and a pool for less, it makes sense.

South of Kingston Road, Scarborough Village is mostly detached houses on quiet streets running toward the Bluffs. That low-rise setting is part of what you are buying.

Pricing: low per square foot, thin supply

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $421 per square foot, which is among the lowest figures I see for a Toronto high-rise. Most of that discount is age, finish level and a location that most buyers reach by car or bus rather than subway.

Supply is thin. When I checked there was only one suite for sale and none for rent, so I will not quote a single listing’s price or fee. With so few active comparables, use the sold history over the past year instead; my building sold report gives the aggregate figures for the building.

When you compare fees, remember this one includes hydro, heat, cable and parking. Put those costs back onto a newer building’s fee before you decide which is cheaper to live in each month.

Building specifications

Amenities at Kingston Heights

The outdoor pool and sauna are the standouts, backed by a party room, meeting room and a basic gym listed by liv.rent. It is a practical package for a building of 150 suites rather than a resort-style one, and there is no concierge listed.

Jatin’s honest take on Kingston Heights

Kingston Heights — 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.