1166 Bay Street: Cadillac Fairview’s 1981 Tower With Valet and a Pool

1166 Bay Street is the old-money answer to Yorkville condo living. Cadillac Fairview completed this dark brick tower with bay windows in 1981, gave it a circular drive and valet parking, and spread 103 large suites over 22 floors. It is a building for people who want space and service rather than a skyline view from a glass box. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Brick, bay windows and a circular drive

Most towers on this part of Bay are glass. 1166 Bay is dark brown brick with panelled bay windows, a traditional look that has aged better than a lot of 1980s architecture. It reads more like an upscale apartment house than a condo tower, and that is exactly the appeal for many buyers.

The front of the building has a semi-circular driveway, which is rare downtown. Profiles describe 1166 Bay as one of the first condominiums in the city to offer valet parking, and the drive makes it easy to pick up and drop off residents and guests without stopping on Bay Street. Ask how the valet service is staffed and paid for, as it is a real operating cost.

Cadillac Fairview is best known for shopping centres and office towers, including the Eaton Centre and the Toronto-Dominion Centre.

Five suites a floor and room to live

With 103 suites on 22 storeys, the building averages about five suites per floor. That allows suites much larger than a typical downtown condo. Recent listings have ranged from about 2,050 to about 2,750 square feet, and the building also has one-bedroom suites, so the full range is wider than that.

Profiles describe large, open living areas with bay windows, hardwood floors, eat-in kitchens with plenty of counter space, roomy bathrooms and bedrooms with walk-in closets. In practice, many suites here have been renovated over 40 years, sometimes more than once, so the condition varies a great deal from one suite to the next.

For buyers coming out of a house, the eat-in kitchen and separate dining space matter. Most new condos have open kitchens along one wall, and 1166 Bay gives you something closer to a traditional home.

A pool, a steam room and a hotel-style lobby

The amenity package is built around wellness and service: an indoor pool, a steam room or sauna, a gym, a party room and a courtyard, plus a 24-hour concierge, security and a car wash in the garage. It is not a long list, but it covers what owners in this building actually use.

A pool in a 103-suite building is expensive to run per suite, and it is one of the reasons fees here are high. That cost is real, but so is the benefit for anyone who swims regularly.

Renovating a 1981 suite

Many buyers at 1166 Bay are buying a renovation project as much as a suite. A layout of more than 2,000 square feet from 1981 can be beautiful once it is updated, but kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and lighting can easily run well into six figures at this size.

Before you commit, find out what the condominium allows and how it approves work. Older buildings often have rules on plumbing changes, flooring sound insulation and working hours, and some have original risers or building systems that limit where a new bathroom or kitchen can go. Ask the manager for the renovation guidelines and bring a contractor to the second showing.

The bay windows are part of the charm, but they are also part of the building envelope. Ask whether window replacement has been done or is planned, and whether it is the corporation’s cost or the owner’s, because that answer varies by declaration.

Bay south of Bloor

The building sits between Charles Street and Bloor, so the shops and restaurants of Bloor Street and Yorkville are a short walk away, as are the Royal Ontario Museum and Queen’s Park. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools and walkability.

Its nearest neighbour to the south is 1132 Bay, a 13-storey, 25-suite building with even larger suites and fewer neighbours. Across Bay Street are newer towers with much smaller suites. Compare them side by side and the trade-off becomes clear: 1166 Bay gives you size, service and a pool in a 1981 building, and the newer towers give you modern systems and lower fees per suite.

Prices and fees at 1166 Bay

At the time of writing, three suites were listed for sale, two bedroom plus den and three bedroom, asking from about $2.0 million to about $3.4 million. Their monthly fees ranged from about $2,980 to about $3,050. These are large suites with fees to match.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance and water only. Heat, hydro and, according to the fee breakdown, parking are not listed as included, so add those costs to the monthly figure. That is a lot of money each month, and it is the main thing that holds back resale here. Ask the seller what parking costs and how the valet service is charged.

Divide those fees by the size range of the listed suites and you get roughly $1.10 to $1.50 per square foot, depending on the suite. That is high next to a new building, but you are paying for staff, valet parking, a pool and a lot of space. The fair comparison is with other large-suite, full-service buildings around Yorkville, not with a new one-bedroom tower.

Because there are only 103 suites and sizes vary widely, do not rely on a building average. Compare the suite you want with recent sales of similar size and condition here and at other full-service buildings near Bloor.

Building specifications

Amenities at 1166 Bay Street Condos

Valet parking off a private circular drive is the feature that sets 1166 Bay apart: you never have to go down to the garage or wait on Bay Street. Add a pool and steam room, and the building runs more like a small hotel than a typical condo.

Jatin’s honest take on 1166 Bay Street Condos

1166 Bay Street Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at St. Lawrence, the Financial District and Downtown Yonge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.