3380 Eglinton Ave E: A 1979 Scarborough Village Tower With Big Suites

3380 Eglinton Avenue East is the kind of building I show buyers who need three bedrooms and have a one-bedroom budget for a new tower. It is a 1979 high-rise with no marketing name, big suites and a fee that already covers heat, water and parking. What you are really buying here is floor area and an older building’s track record, so you have to read that record carefully. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A late-1970s tower built for families

This building went up in the last big wave of Scarborough condominium construction, when developers were selling suites to families leaving houses rather than to investors. You can see that in the plans. Condos.ca records suites from about 1,249 to 1,257 square feet, and the building has two- and three-bedroom layouts. That is house-sized living space by today’s standards.

At 19 storeys and about 58 metres, it is among the taller buildings in Scarborough Village, and it carries a plain number rather than a brand name. Shon Construction Company is credited as both developer and builder. There is little public record of the firm today, which is typical for builders of that era, so judge the building on its own history rather than on the name.

With 219 suites, the corporation is large enough to spread major repairs across many owners but small enough that the board and manager can know the building well. That middle size is generally a good place to be for a building of this age.

What the size data does and does not tell you

Be careful with the square footage. The narrow 1,249 to 1,257 range on condos.ca comes from the few listings that reported a size, while other listings have reported smaller suites. The building almost certainly has a wider mix than the published range suggests, so ask for the floor plan and the declaration’s suite description for the exact unit you are considering.

In buildings from this period, the extra space usually goes into separate dining rooms, galley or eat-in kitchens, deep closets and in some plans a second bathroom attached to the main bedroom. Open-concept layouts are often the result of later renovation. Two suites of identical size can feel very different depending on how much of that work has been done.

Renovation quality is the biggest swing in value here. Ask what was updated, when, and whether permits or board approvals were needed for plumbing or electrical changes. A well-renovated suite and an original one can sit only a few floors apart and be priced very differently.

Heat, water and parking in one fee

The fee covers common elements, heat, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is not on the inclusion list, so budget for your own electricity and ask the seller for recent bills. In many older towers air conditioning is a through-wall or window unit run on suite hydro, so confirm how the suite you like is cooled.

Current listings carry fees of roughly $845 to $854 a month. On a suite near 1,250 square feet that works out to somewhere around $0.68 a square foot; smaller suites pay more per foot. That is in line with older Scarborough towers that bundle heat and parking.

Because heat is in the fee, the building’s boiler plant, gas contract and window condition all flow straight into what you pay each month. Older windows and balcony doors lose a lot of heat. Ask whether a window replacement has been done or is planned, because it is one of the largest projects a building like this faces.

Scarborough Village and the coming Eglinton East LRT

The building sits on Eglinton Avenue East in Scarborough Village, between the Markham Road shopping strips and the Kingston Road corridor that leads toward Guildwood. Daily errands mean the plazas along Markham Road and Eglinton, and the Bluffs parks to the south are a short drive or a long walk away.

The bigger change is transit. The City’s planned Eglinton East LRT would run from Kennedy station east toward the University of Toronto Scarborough and Malvern, and the plan includes realigning Eglinton Avenue East where it meets Kingston Road. That is still a planning-stage project, not a shovel in the ground, so treat it as possible long-term upside rather than something to pay for today.

Closer in, the pattern along this stretch of Eglinton is steady rather than dramatic: older towers, townhouse blocks and low-rise plazas. That stability cuts both ways. You are unlikely to be living beside a construction site for years, but you also should not expect the kind of price growth that comes with a new subway stop.

The automatic panel on this page shows the current transit options, schools and Walk Score. My point is simpler: this is a car-friendly location with parking in the fee, which is what most buyers here need now.

Price per square foot and what suites are asking

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $440 per square foot. That is less than half of what new condominiums in Scarborough typically ask, and it is the main reason buyers look here. You are trading new finishes and amenities for space.

Three suites were for sale when I checked, asking from $489,900 to $580,000. Two suites were also listed for lease, which tells you a share of owners rent their units out. Use my building sold report to see what has actually closed before you decide how far below asking to start.

When you compare this building with a newer one, compare total monthly cost: mortgage, fee, hydro and parking. A newer suite with a lower fee often adds back parking and heat, and the gap closes quickly once you do the arithmetic.

Building specifications

Amenities at 3380 Eglinton Avenue East Condos

The package is practical rather than resort-style: a security guard, a gym and sauna, a meeting room and bike storage. One building directory also lists a pool, which does not appear in the condos.ca summary, so confirm on a tour what is actually open and maintained.

Jatin’s honest take on 3380 Eglinton Avenue East Condos

3380 Eglinton Avenue East Condos — 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.