The Keelesgate, 2874 Keele St: A 20-Suite Boutique Condo in Downsview

The Keelesgate is one of the smallest condominium corporations I come across in North York: 20 suites in a four-storey building on Keele Street. Small buildings like this are cheaper to get into and quieter to live in, but every repair is shared among very few owners, and that is the whole story here. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Twenty owners share everything

Most condo buyers never think about how many units sit in a corporation. At The Keelesgate it is the first thing I would think about. With 20 suites, a $100,000 repair works out to roughly $5,000 per owner if the reserve fund cannot cover it. In a 300-suite tower the same job would be a rounding error.

The flip side is real. A small building has fewer moving parts: no pool, no large amenity floor and a short list of shared systems to maintain. Boards in buildings this size are often made up of owners who live there and know each other, which can make decisions faster.

So the question is not whether a small building is good or bad. It is whether this one has been saving properly for the roof, windows, garage and mechanical work it will face in its second and third decade.

Compact suites, built for one

Condos.ca lists suite sizes from about 400 to 766 square feet, which means studios, one-bedrooms and a few larger one-bedroom-plus or small two-bedroom plans. In a four-storey building that size range usually means no luxury penthouse level and no large family plans; this is a building for single buyers, couples and investors.

At 400 square feet, a suite works best for someone who is out most of the day, such as a student or a shift worker. Before you commit, check that a bed, a table and a work desk actually fit in the plan you are looking at, and that storage is enough without a locker.

Fees, parking and the paperwork to read

Fees here include common elements, building insurance, parking and water, according to condos.ca. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, so ask how suites are heated and whether each unit is separately metered. In a building from 2000 that answer can vary, and it changes your monthly cost.

Parking is included in the fee, which is unusual for suites this small and a real plus on a car-oriented stretch of Keele. Confirm whether the space is owned or assigned, and whether the suite you want actually comes with one; in small buildings not every unit always does.

Condos.ca lists the building as having pet restrictions. Get the exact rule from the declaration and rules before you make an offer if you have a dog. In a 20-suite building the status certificate, the reserve fund study and the last few years of board minutes are not optional reading.

How it compares with newer buildings up Keele

Buyers looking at The Keelesgate usually also look at the newer mid-rise buildings further north on Keele, such as the Keeley at 3100 Keele. Those buildings offer gyms, party rooms and newer finishes, and they also tend to carry higher prices per square foot and, in many cases, parking as a separate purchase or charge.

The Keelesgate competes on price and simplicity. You get an older, smaller building with a parking space in the fee, and you give up amenities and modern finishes. A suite that has been renovated well can close much of the finish gap; nothing will close the amenity gap.

If you are choosing between the two, decide which you will actually use. Many owners who pay for a gym and a party room use neither, and pay for them every month regardless.

Living on this stretch of Keele

This part of Keele Street is practical rather than pretty. Small shops sit within a block or two, including a convenience store and a local restaurant, and larger shopping is a short drive away. The street is a busy arterial, so ask which side a suite faces if traffic noise bothers you.

The bigger picture is Downsview. A few blocks north, the Keele frontage across from Downsview Park’s lake has been redeveloping, with a 12-storey project at 3100 Keele replacing a single-storey club building. To the east, the City launched its Update Downsview study in 2022 to plan the former airport lands for housing and jobs over the coming decades.

That work will take many years, but it is the reason I think this corridor will look very different by the time a buyer today is ready to sell. The panel on this page shows the nearest transit, schools and parks.

What a suite here costs, per square foot

Condos.ca puts the building average around $489 per square foot. That is low for Toronto and reflects three things: the age of the building, the small suite sizes and the location on a working stretch of Keele rather than near a subway entrance.

No suites were listed for sale when I checked, which is normal for a building with 20 units, where one or two suites on the market at once is a busy stretch. That makes pricing harder. Use the recorded sales on this page, and ask me for a building sold report that compares The Keelesgate with newer Downsview buildings on a per-square-foot basis.

When you compare, put parking and water back into the picture. A newer building nearby may ask more per square foot and charge separately for parking, while The Keelesgate includes it in the fee.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Keelesgate

There is no gym, pool or party room, and in a 20-suite building that is a good thing for the fee. What you get is a secure entrance, a parking space in the fee and a small, quiet building.

Jatin’s honest take on The Keelesgate

The Keelesgate — 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.