Classic Condos, 85 Skymark Dr: Two Pools, Big Suites, Hydro Included

Classic at 85 Skymark Drive is a building for people who measure a condo by its rooms, not its amenity brochure. Suites start around 1,200 square feet, the fee pays your hydro and heat, and there are two pools downstairs. What I want every buyer here to understand is how the fee is structured and which year the building really dates from. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Large suites with fewer of them per floor

With 173 suites spread over 29 storeys, Classic averages only about six units per floor. That is a low count for a tower, and it is the reason the suites are so large: the listed range runs from about 1,202 to 2,817 square feet.

Fewer suites per floor usually means shorter corridors, fewer neighbours sharing your elevator lobby, and more units with two exposures. The upper end of the size range is penthouse territory by today’s standards, so if you need a real home office or space for visiting family, the plans here can do it.

The building sits among a group of large-suite towers on Skymark Drive that share the Skymark name, which dates back to Tridel’s first Skymark tower at Finch and Don Mills in 1977, according to the Canadian Condominium Institute. I could not confirm who developed Classic, so verify any developer named in a listing.

Because the suites are so large, the layouts vary a lot from one stack to the next. Walk at least two or three before you decide, and pay attention to which way the main rooms face. On a big floor plate, a suite with its living space on the wrong side can feel darker than its size suggests.

Hydro is in, parking is the question

Classic’s fee covers common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, cable TV, building insurance and water. Having hydro and cooling included is a genuine saving on suites this size, where a summer of air conditioning on your own meter can add up quickly.

Parking is the one item that does not appear on the fee list I have, even though the building has a parking garage. Its neighbours at 65 and 89 Skymark both list parking in the fee. Before you compare costs, ask the listing agent and check the status certificate for whether your suite’s parking carries its own monthly charge or is simply bundled differently.

Fees on the current listings run from roughly $1,500 to just over $2,000 a month. That sounds like a lot until you divide it by the square footage and subtract hydro, heat, cooling and cable you would otherwise pay. On a per-foot basis it lands where I would expect for a large-suite building with that many utilities bundled.

A date worth double-checking

Listing sources give Classic a 1995 build year and a 1995 registration date. The corporation number, MTCC-661, sits close to MTCC-586 at The Elegance next door, which registered in 1982, while the Excellence at 89 Skymark registered in 1999 as MTCC-1227. That makes the 1995 date look out of sequence to me.

I am not going to guess the real year. I am telling you to confirm it, because it changes your due diligence. A building that is 40 years old is at a very different point in its replacement cycle than one that is 30, and the reserve fund study will tell you which one you are buying.

Living on Skymark Drive

Skymark Drive is a quiet street of towers set on landscaped grounds just east of Don Mills Road. It is a calm, settled pocket where people walk the grounds rather than a strip of shops, and many owners have been here for years.

Most residents rely on a car for errands, and the 404 and 401 are close. The data panel on this page covers transit, schools and nearby amenities, so use it to test the location against your own week.

What I like about this pocket for long-term owners is stability. The towers on Skymark Drive are established, the grounds are mature, and the people who buy here tend to stay. If you want a lively street and a coffee shop downstairs, this is the wrong building; if you want a quiet home base with space, it is worth a look.

Pricing and what the listings ask

The building average is about $495 per square foot. That is low for Toronto, and it is mostly a function of suite size and building age; large units always trade at a lower per-foot figure than compact ones.

There were four active listings when I checked, asking between roughly $898,000 and $1,198,000. Fees across those listings ran about $1,530 to $2,080 a month. Four listings in a 173-suite building is a healthy amount of choice, which gives you room to compare views, floors and condition.

When you weigh those asking prices, the condition of the individual suite matters more than usual. In older large-suite buildings, a renovated unit and an original one can be very different propositions at similar prices. For recent trades in aggregate, see the sold report on this page.

One more way to frame it: compare Classic against new two-bedrooms in North York on total space, not price. At similar budgets you will usually get considerably more floor area here, and you give up new finishes, a new building warranty and modern energy performance to get it.

Building specifications

Amenities at Classic Condos

An indoor pool for winter, an outdoor pool for summer and a sauna make this a strong building for anyone who swims for exercise. Security staff on site suit owners who travel or leave for the winter. Pools are also among the most expensive amenities to run and eventually rebuild, so they are worth asking about by name when you read the reserve fund study.

Jatin’s honest take on Classic Condos

Classic Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at the Junction, Corso Italia, Hillcrest Village and west-central Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.