190 St George St: Medwecki’s 1971 Annex Tower of Wraparound Balconies

190 St George is the building I point to when someone tells me older Toronto condos all look the same. It is a 12-storey, 70-suite tower from the early 1970s by architect Joe Medwecki, set back among the trees at St. George and Lowther, with balconies wrapping every floor. It is also one of the earliest condominium corporations in the city, and its age is both its character and the thing you need to check most carefully. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A late-modern tower in the park

Developer Ted Lempicki commissioned it on the site of one or two Annex mansions, and it was planned as rentals before being offered as one of Toronto’s early condominiums.

Its signature is the balconies. From the second floor up they wrap around the building, with floor-to-ceiling glass behind them and see-through metal railings in front. On the east and west sides, the balconies come to points, which gives the middle suites outdoor corners with longer views. The tower is set back on its corner among mature trees, and Spacing describes it as a real-life version of Le Corbusier’s tower-in-the-park idea.

It has been admired for a long time. The architectural critic Patricia McHugh called it a distinguished essay in Late-Modernism in her guide to Toronto architecture. If design matters to you, this is one of the more interesting buildings you can own in the Annex.

Medwecki’s aim, as Spacing describes it, was views, daylight and privacy in a dense setting, and the design also simplified construction by avoiding heavy masonry. The article notes that the building marked the end of tower-building on St. George Street for some time, which is part of why it still stands out among the houses and low-rises around it.

Suites, balconies and the glass question

Suites are compact by Annex standards. One recent listing described a one-bedroom of about 725 sq ft with floor-to-ceiling windows and an oversized west-facing terrace, and the building includes two-bedroom plans as well. The wraparound balconies mean even modest suites have meaningful outdoor space, which is rare in a building of this age.

The glass walls that make the building beautiful are also its main technical question. A reader comment on the Spacing article raised the energy cost of so much glass, and the author answered that it should be measured against newer buildings rather than assumed. That is a fair debate, and it is your money in it: heat, hydro and air conditioning are all in the fee, so the whole building shares the cost of every window.

Ask what has been done to the windows and balcony slabs since 1971, and what the reserve fund study plans for them. Balcony and window work on a building wrapped in both is a major project, and you want to know whether it is behind the building or ahead of it.

An all-in fee in the middle of the Annex

The fee here includes heat, hydro, air conditioning, water, cable TV, parking, building insurance and common elements. That is close to the most complete inclusion list you will find, and it makes monthly costs easy to predict. A suite here will look expensive next to a newer building’s fee until you add back hydro, heating, cooling, parking and cable.

Parking is underground, and listings mention a locker with the suite. The building also lists an exercise room, a sauna, a recreation room, bike storage, visitor parking and a security system. One recent listing noted that the corridors were still due for renovation, which is worth asking about, because a hallway project is usually funded from the reserve or a levy.

The location is the other reason people buy here. You are on a leafy stretch of St. George, with the University of Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum, Bloor Street and Yorkville all within walking distance. Transit, schools and Walk Score are shown in the data panel on this page.

Being this close to the university can also shape a building. Buildings near a campus often draw investors and parents buying for students alongside owner-occupiers, so ask the manager roughly how many suites are leased, because that affects how the building feels and how the board votes.

Pricing and fees at 190 St George

Condos.ca does not publish a building average price per square foot for 190 St George, and with only one suite listed for sale when I checked, I am not quoting that listing’s price or fee here. Nothing was listed for lease.

For context on the street, Powell House at 212 St. George, a 1980 low-rise, averages about $609 per square foot, while Four Lowther around the corner, with much larger suites, averages about $1,674. 190 St George sits between those in character: older and more modest in suite size than Four Lowther, but with a stronger design pedigree and a more complete fee than most of its neighbours.

Because fees here include hydro, heat, cooling, cable and parking, compare total monthly cost rather than the headline fee when you weigh it against a newer building. For the recorded resale history, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 190 St George Condos

The amenity package is modest and practical: a gym, a sauna and a recreation room for 70 suites. The real amenities are the balcony outside your window and the neighbourhood outside the door.

Jatin’s honest take on 190 St George Condos

190 St George Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.