100 Wingarden Court: Malvern’s 1987 Tower With Squash and Tennis

100 Wingarden Court is where I send buyers who need a real two- or three-bedroom and have a budget that would only buy a one-bedroom in most of the city. Every suite here starts at more than 850 square feet, and the fee covers hydro and heat. It is a 1987 building, so the work is in checking its health, not in finding the space. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1980s tower built for families

Huang and Danczkay Ltd. built 100 Wingarden Court in 1987, with architecture credited to Henry Fleiss. CondoInvestments puts the tower at about 58 metres over its 19 storeys. It is a substantial tower by Malvern standards, with 300 suites on one site.

The suite sizes tell you who it was built for. They run from about 854 to 1,316 sq ft, so even the smallest plan here is larger than a typical new two-bedroom downtown. The current listings are all two- and three-bedroom suites, and there are no studios or compact one-bedrooms at all.

That makes this a building of households rather than investors. Plans from this era usually have separate kitchens, a proper dining area and real storage. Many suites have been renovated over the years and some have not, so the price gap between an updated suite and an original one can be wide.

When you view, look past the paint. Ask what has been replaced inside the suite, such as the electrical panel, plumbing shut-offs and windows if owners are responsible for them, and check the declaration for what the corporation repairs and what the owner does.

Hydro and heat are in the fee

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, hydro, building insurance, parking and water in the fee. Air conditioning is not on that list, so ask how a suite is cooled, whether through-wall or window units are allowed, and who pays to run them.

Fees on current listings ran from about $630 to $720 a month. For suites of 854 sq ft and up, with electricity, heat and parking included, that works out to well under $1 a square foot, which is low for Toronto.

The trade-off with bundled utilities is that energy prices hit the corporation’s budget rather than your own bill. Ask how utility costs have moved in recent years, and whether the board has looked at retrofits such as lighting, boilers or suite metering, because any of these can change your fee.

Squash, tennis and a 300-suite community

Condos.ca lists squash and tennis courts here, which you rarely see in buildings from any later decade. A meeting room, a security guard and a security system round out the package.

With 300 suites, the building is big enough to spread the cost of those facilities and its staff across many owners. It is also big enough that the quality of the board and manager matters a great deal. AA Property Management is listed as manager, and I would read a year or two of board minutes to see how decisions get made.

Condos.ca flags pet restrictions. Read the declaration and rules before you move in with a dog or cat.

Visitor parking and the garage are worth a look too. In a building where most households have a car, ask how visitor spaces are managed and whether there is a waiting list for a second space.

Living in Malvern

Malvern was farmland until the late 1950s, when the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation assembled it to build a planned community of affordable homes. The first residents moved in in 1972, and 100 Wingarden Court came along 15 years later, as Malvern was filling in.

Today the neighbourhood has the Malvern Town Centre, the Malvern branch library and community sports facilities, with Highway 401 to the south and the Rouge Valley and the Toronto Zoo in the vicinity. The panel on this page lists the nearest transit, schools and shops.

The change to watch is Scarborough East Rapid Transit. The City and the TTC are planning an 18.6-kilometre line, the future Line 7, from Kennedy Station to Malvern Town Centre by way of the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, with a connection to the new Line 2 terminus at Sheppard and McCowan. It is still in planning, but for a neighbourhood that has relied on buses, it is the biggest long-term change on the table.

If you like the area but want ground-level living, the townhouse complex at 26 to 90 Wingarden Court on the same street dates to 1978 and is a separate corporation. It is the natural comparison for a buyer deciding between a large tower suite and a townhouse.

What 100 Wingarden Court costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $478 per square foot, which is among the lowest per-square-foot figures you will find for a Toronto condominium tower. Some of that is the building’s age and location, and some is simply the size of the suites, since bigger suites always trade for less per square foot.

When I checked, nine suites were for sale, and the eight with prices posted were asking between $368,000 and $468,000. Three were for lease. That is a tight range for a building with suites from 854 to 1,316 sq ft, which tells me condition and view drive price here more than size.

For what has actually sold, use the panel on this page or ask me for a building sold report. With this many listings at once, you have room to negotiate, so know the recent sales before you make an offer.

Building specifications

Amenities at 100 Wingarden Court

Squash and tennis courts are an unusual pair for any Toronto condo, and they suit owners who want to play without a club membership. They also need upkeep, so check how they are covered in the reserve fund study.

Jatin’s honest take on 100 Wingarden Court

100 Wingarden Court — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.