270 Palmdale Drive Condos: A 1974 Tower with Every Bill in the Fee

270 Palmdale Drive is the building I bring up when a buyer tells me they need two bedrooms and real space on a tight budget. The smallest suite here is about 851 sq ft, the fee covers almost every bill you have, and the price per square foot is among the lowest in this part of Scarborough. It is also more than 50 years old, and buying it well means reading the paperwork harder than you read the floor plan. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A first-generation Scarborough condo

This building comes from the very start of condominium ownership in Toronto. Its corporation number, YCC-139, dates it to the old York County register, before the Metro Toronto numbering began, and it was registered on 1 May 1974. Ontario only allowed condominium ownership a few years earlier, so this is one of the early ones.

The developer was Keswick Construction, a builder that is not active in today’s market. That is common for buildings of this age. What matters now is not who poured the concrete but how the owners’ corporation has looked after it for five decades.

Being early also explains the design. This is a straightforward slab tower with large suites, built when condos were sold to families moving out of rental apartments, not to investors looking for the smallest possible unit.

Space you will not find in a new tower

Suites here run from about 851 to 1,192 sq ft. There is nothing small in the building. At those sizes, the stock is essentially two-bedroom plans, some with a den, laid out with separate living and dining space.

For comparison, a new two-bedroom in Scarborough is often 650 to 750 sq ft. Here you get a third more space, and usually real storage, a proper kitchen and bedrooms that fit a family. That is why I send growing families and downsizers from houses to look at buildings like this one.

The trade-off is condition. In a 1974 building, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and electrical panels may be original or may have been updated several times. Price each suite on what it actually needs, and get an inspection even though it is a condo.

If you plan to renovate, read the corporation’s rules first. Older buildings often control flooring underlay, plumbing changes and work hours, and some require board approval for anything that touches common pipes or walls. A renovation done without approval can become your problem after closing, so ask the seller what was approved and when.

Heat, hydro and cable all in one fee

Condos.ca lists cable TV, common elements, heat, hydro, building insurance, parking and water as included. That is nearly every household bill. Apart from internet and contents insurance, your fee is close to your total cost of running the home.

Across the two current listings, fees run from about $649 to $799 a month. That looks high next to a newer building until you add back the hydro, heating and parking bills you would pay there. For a large suite, it is a reasonable number.

The catch with all-inclusive fees is that energy costs are shared. When utility rates climb, everyone’s fee climbs with them. Ask the manager how the fee has changed over the past five years and whether the board has done or planned energy upgrades such as lighting, boilers or windows.

Living near Sheppard and Warden

The building sits on Palmdale Drive, a residential street on the Sullivan side of Tam O’Shanter-Sullivan, west of Warden Avenue. The neighbourhood takes its names from the Tam O’Shanter golf course and O’Sullivan’s Corners, the old crossroads at Sheppard and Victoria Park.

Shopping is suburban. Agincourt Mall and the plazas along Sheppard serve the area, and Bridlewood Mall is just to the north in L’Amoreaux. Small parks such as Wishing Well Park and Vradenburg Park are part of the neighbourhood fabric.

Day to day, this is a quiet, established part of Scarborough rather than a walkable downtown-style strip. The data panel on this page shows transit, schools and walking scores, and I would test the commute at rush hour before buying. The 401 is a short drive south, which is the main reason this pocket works for people who commute by car.

What 270 Palmdale costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $382 per square foot. That is low even for Scarborough’s older towers: The Greens at Tam O’Shanter on Bonis Avenue sits at about $431 and Tam O’Shanter Highlands at about $444, while new buildings nearby such as Wish Condos and East 3220 are above $700.

When I checked, two suites were for sale and one for lease. Asking prices across the two listings ran from $399,900 to $479,000.

The low price per square foot is real, but it is not free. It reflects the building’s age, the shared utility costs and the capital work that a 50-year-old building needs. With so few listings, recent sold prices tell you much more than asking prices, and I can pull them through my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 270 Palmdale Drive Condos

An indoor pool, a sauna and a gym are a solid package for a 170-suite building, and they are the kind of amenities most newer mid-size towers skip. A 50-year-old pool is also a serious maintenance item, so look for it in the reserve fund study.

Jatin’s honest take on 270 Palmdale Drive Condos

270 Palmdale Drive Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Agincourt, L’Amoreaux, Milliken, Dorset Park and Wexford in Scarborough more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.