Heintzman Place, 60 & 61 Heintzman St: Options for Homes in the Junction

Heintzman Place is how a lot of people first got a foothold in the Junction. It was built by Options for Homes, a non-profit model designed to make ownership reachable, and it still prices below most of what surrounds it. That makes it a good buy for the right person, as long as you understand what kind of building it is. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A piano street and an affordable-ownership model

Heintzman Street takes its name from Heintzman and Company, the Canadian piano maker. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes the firm had a factory in the Junction by 1888 and that Heintzman Street once led to it; the company later moved production to the Owen Sound area in the 1970s.

Listing descriptions say the condo stands on the old piano works, while UrbanToronto’s project thread describes the site as a former Canadian Tire property on the east side of Keele, north of Dundas. The two are not necessarily in conflict, since industrial sites change hands, but I have not found a source that ties them together cleanly.

The bigger story is who built it. Options for Homes is a non-profit developer whose financing model was set up to help moderate-income buyers into ownership, and the project, originally marketed as Village by High Park, was built with Deltera from the Tridel group. The thread credits Burka as architect.

Compact plans, solariums and a rooftop garden

Suites here range from about 455 to 1,190 square feet, which covers everything from a true starter bachelor to a family-sized three-bedroom. The original marketing plans posted on UrbanToronto included bachelors and two-bedrooms with solariums, a feature you rarely see in newer towers.

Options buildings were designed with operating costs in mind. UrbanToronto’s thread describes energy-saving features intended to keep monthly costs down, along with a shared multi-purpose room with a kitchen, a library, a lounge, a boardroom and a fourth-floor rooftop garden.

Finishes were built to a budget, not a luxury spec. That is fine for most buyers, but expect to compare suites on condition: some owners will have upgraded floors and kitchens, and some will not.

Parking is in the fee

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Having parking bundled in is useful in the Junction, where a spot in a newer building is often a separate monthly charge or a separate purchase.

That said, not every suite comes with a space, so check what is attached to the unit you are looking at. Hydro and heat are not on the inclusion list I have, so budget for them separately.

The building also lists FibreStream internet, which is worth confirming if you work from home, and a staffed security presence.

What the Options model means on resale

Options for Homes helped original buyers with a down-payment loan that is typically repaid when the owner sells. For you as a resale buyer, that is the seller’s obligation to discharge on closing, the same as their regular mortgage, and your lawyer will confirm it is cleared from title.

Where it can matter is negotiation. A seller who has to repay that loan from their proceeds may have less room on price than you expect, so understand their position before you write an aggressive offer.

The model also shaped who lives here. Many original owners were first-time buyers, and the building was planned around everyday needs rather than showpiece amenities. That keeps fees focused on running the building rather than on features most owners do not use.

Living near Keele and Dundas

This is a residential side street a short walk from the Junction’s shops and restaurants on Dundas West and from Keele Street. UrbanToronto posters described it as about six blocks from High Park and Keele station, which gives you a sense of the area; the transit panel on this page has the specifics.

Rail lines run close to this part of the Junction, so ask which way a suite faces. A view over trees and rooftops and a view of the tracks are very different things to live with, and they price differently on resale.

The Junction itself has changed a great deal since this building opened, with Dundas West now known for independent restaurants, bars and shops. Owning at Heintzman Place puts you on a quiet street a few minutes from all of that, which is the combination most of my Junction buyers are looking for.

Pricing in context

The building average sits around $747 per square foot. For the Junction, where newer boutique condos often ask well above that, Heintzman Place remains one of the more affordable ways into the neighbourhood.

Fees run at about $0.99 per square foot on current listings, which is on the higher side for a 2011 building. Remember that parking is included; strip that out and the comparison with newer buildings that charge for parking separately narrows.

There were two active listings when I checked, asking between roughly $399,900 and $745,000, plus two suites for lease. For recent trades in aggregate, use the sold report on this page rather than any single listing.

The wide spread in asking prices is a useful feature of this building. With suites from bachelors to three-bedrooms under one corporation, you can buy a starter unit now and stay in the same building if you need to move up later, which is rarer in the Junction than it should be.

Building specifications

Amenities at Heintzman Place

This is a practical amenity package rather than a resort one: a rooftop garden, a party room and meeting space, and security. None of the sources I used list a pool, and not paying to run one is part of why the building works for budget-conscious owners.

Jatin’s honest take on Heintzman Place

Heintzman Place — 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.