Westmount Condos, 2737 Keele St: Entry-Level Downsview With Heat Included

Westmount Condos at 2737 Keele Street is one of the few places left in Toronto where a first-time buyer can still own a suite in the $250,000 range. It is a 10-storey building from 2006 in Downsview, with heat, cooling, water and parking in the fee. The fee per square foot is high, and I will explain what you are paying for and what to check. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

An entry point that has almost disappeared

Most of the suites I saw listed here were studios and compact one-bedrooms in the 400 to 600 sq ft range. That is what drives the low entry price. At the same time, the building runs all the way up to about 1,699 sq ft, so there are larger two-bedroom-plus-den plans as well.

For a first-time buyer, that matters. A small suite here can cost less than a down payment plus closing costs on a larger home elsewhere in the city. For an investor, it means a low purchase price in an area with steady rental demand. Two suites were listed for lease when I checked, alongside nine for sale.

The developer is listed as Westmount-Keele Limited, which looks like a company set up for this one project. That is common, but it means there is no well-known brand to research. Judge the building on its own records: the reserve fund, the minutes and the state of the common areas, from the lobby and hallways to the garage and the roof.

Heat and parking are in the fee, which is why it looks high

Across the active listings, fees averaged about $1.09 per square foot, and monthly fees ranged from about $521 to $986. On paper, that is high. But condos.ca lists common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water as included. In most newer buildings, heat and cooling are on your own meter and parking is extra.

Small suites also make the per-square-foot fee look worse. Parts of the fee do not shrink much with suite size, so a 450 sq ft studio always looks expensive per square foot. Compare the total monthly cost, including the utilities you would pay elsewhere, rather than the ratio.

Hydro is not listed as included, so expect your own electricity bill. Ask the seller for a year of hydro bills, particularly for a corner or top-floor suite.

The bundled fee also has a downside worth understanding. When the corporation pays for heating and cooling, a cold winter or a hot summer shows up in the building budget, and eventually in everyone’s fee. Ask how much the fee has risen over the last three years and whether the board expects further increases. A building that has kept increases steady through recent energy price swings is usually being managed carefully.

Amenities, and a management question

Condos.ca lists a concierge, a party room, guest suites, a meeting room, visitor parking and a parking garage. Another building profile also lists a pool, a hot tub, a sauna and 24-hour security. If the pool and sauna exist and are working, that is unusual for a building at this price point, but confirm them in the status certificate and the budget before you count on them.

The sources also disagree on management. Condos.ca lists Percel Property Management, while another profile lists Malvern Property Management. Management firms change, so ask which company runs the building now, how long it has done so, and whether there is a full-time on-site manager.

One building profile lists cats and dogs as allowed and rentals as permitted. Treat that as a starting point, not the rule. The declaration and rules set the actual limits.

Keele and Wilson, and what is changing nearby

This stretch of Keele is everyday North York: low-rise plazas, schools, places of worship and the Downsview branch of the Toronto Public Library a short way north. Downsview Park is close by, which gives you real green space for walks and weekend sport. The data panel on this page shows the nearest transit.

Keele itself is starting to change. In 2023, Trinity Point Development applied to build an 11-storey, 156-unit condominium at 2801 Keele Street and 6 Paxtonia Boulevard, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, with retail at grade. I have not confirmed the current status of that application. New mid-rise buildings like it would bring more shops to the street, and also more construction for a few years.

If you are buying a suite with a view to the north, check the City of Toronto development applications map, because a new building nearby can change what you see.

What Westmount Condos costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $576 per square foot. That is below the Toronto condo average and reflects both the age of the building and its suburban location.

When I checked, nine suites were for sale and two for lease. Asking prices ran from $249,000 to $399,000. That is a very low entry point for Toronto, and with that many listings, you have real choice and real comparables. Ask for what actually sold; my building sold report shows the recent trades.

Many listings at once can also mean slower sales. If several similar suites are competing, you may have room to negotiate, so do not assume you need to offer over asking. For an investor, run the numbers with the full fee and property tax before you look at the rent, because a high fee eats into cash flow on a small suite faster than most people expect.

Building specifications

Amenities at Westmount Condos

The confirmed list is practical rather than flashy: a concierge, guest suites for visitors and rooms for meetings and parties. If the pool, hot tub and sauna in other profiles are real and working, the building offers far more than its price suggests, so confirm them.

Jatin’s honest take on Westmount Condos

Westmount Condos — 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.