Daniels FirstHome Keelesdale: Townhomes on the Old Hospital Site

Daniels FirstHome Keelesdale is what happens when a hospital site becomes a neighbourhood. The old Humber River Hospital lands on Keele Street are now a 12-acre community of townhomes and mid-rise buildings beside a ravine, built by Daniels with first-time buyers in mind. It offers some of the lowest prices per square foot for a newer ground-oriented home in this part of the city, and a few details you should understand before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A master-planned community on the old hospital lands

The site at 2175 Keele Street was the former home of the Humber River Hospital, on the east side of Keele between Eglinton and Lawrence. Daniels, DiamondCorp and the Kilmer Group turned it into a 12-acre master plan bordered by Keele Street, Strathnairn Avenue and Ingram Drive, with a ravine along one edge.

The full community was planned in three phases with more than 600 homes, mixing four- to six-storey mid-rise buildings with three-storey stacked and traditional townhomes. This corporation, TSCC-2949, covers 393 units and is recorded as a three-storey low-rise, so it represents the townhouse side of the community rather than the mid-rise buildings.

That matters when you compare prices. Daniels Keelesdale is a marketing name for the whole master plan, but each building or group of townhomes may belong to a different corporation with its own fees, reserve fund and rules. Confirm the corporation number on the listing and the status certificate before you compare one unit with another.

Stacked suites and family-sized towns

Suites in this corporation range from about 504 to 1,349 square feet, which covers compact one-bedroom stacked units through to larger family homes. Current listings run from one-bedrooms to three-bedrooms, with two-bedrooms the most common.

At the larger end, the Jackson Towns were marketed as traditional three-storey condominium townhomes designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, with three- and four-bedroom layouts of about 1,600 to 1,700 square feet. Each was planned with two balconies and two terraces. Whether those homes sit in this corporation or a separate one is something to confirm, because their sizes are larger than the range listed here.

Daniels marketed 9-foot ceilings, laminate floors and stainless steel appliances, with quartz counters and engineered hardwood in the larger towns. The developer also committed that at least 15 per cent of suites in the community would be barrier-free, with features such as roll-in showers, which is unusual and genuinely useful for buyers with mobility needs.

Stacked suites deserve the same questions here as anywhere else. A lower unit usually trades some light for a patio and easier access, while an upper unit carries more stairs and typically a terrace. Ask which level the unit is on, how sound travels between the floors, and where the unit’s parking and storage sit.

The amenity hub, the park and the ravine

Instead of a lobby and a gym in every building, the community shares an amenity hub of about 4,500 square feet with a fitness centre, a party and dining room, a co-working space and a dog wash. Outside, there are courtyards, shared barbecues, outdoor dining areas, garden plots and a potting shed.

A new City of Toronto park with a splash pad and playground sits within the community and connects to the existing ravine trails. For families with young children, that is the main draw: a playground and splash pad you can walk to without crossing a major road.

The amenities are shared across a large community, so ask how their operating costs are split between corporations. Shared-facilities agreements are common in master-planned sites, and they show up in your fee whether you use the gym or not. Ask for the most recent budget so you can see the line for shared facilities in dollars.

Keele and Eglinton, and what is changing

The site sits just north of Eglinton, where the Crosstown line was the reason many buyers chose this community in the first place. Daniels marketed the location as minutes from the line, and the transit panel on this page shows the actual routes and distances.

The surrounding area is established low-rise York, with local shops and plazas along Keele and Eglinton, and the wider corridor has been changing as the Crosstown line has drawn new development. Expect more construction nearby over the next several years, both within the master plan and around it.

Price per square foot, fees and active listings

The corporation averages about $594 per square foot, which is low for a 2022 building in Toronto. Eight units were listed for sale at the time of writing, asking between $385,000 and $849,000. The width of that range reflects the mix, from one-bedroom stacked suites at the bottom to three-bedroom townhomes at the top.

Fees across those listings average about $0.67 per square foot, ranging from roughly $400 to $540 a month. The published fee inclusions for this corporation are not listed in the data I rely on, so ask exactly what the fee covers, especially whether parking, water and any share of the amenity hub are included.

FirstHome is the Daniels brand aimed at first-time buyers, and the original sales came with features such as a gradual deposit plan and a lender rate lock. If you are buying a resale unit, have your lawyer check title early for any second charge or assistance loan, as you would in any project built for first-time buyers.

Building specifications

Amenities at Daniels FirstHome Keelesdale

For a townhouse community, this is a strong package: a shared fitness centre, party room, co-working space and pet wash, plus a public park and splash pad on site. It lets you live in a townhouse format while keeping the shared spaces you would usually only get in a tower.

Jatin’s honest take on Daniels FirstHome Keelesdale

Daniels FirstHome Keelesdale — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.