40 Rosehill Ave: 42 Large Suites Facing David Balfour Park

40 Rosehill Avenue is the building I suggest to people selling a house in Rosedale, Moore Park or Deer Park who still want house-sized rooms. It is a 15-storey tower with just 42 suites, none smaller than about 1,130 sq ft, and it faces David Balfour Park and the ravine. It is not cheap to carry, and that is the honest conversation to have before you fall for the view. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Forty-two suites, four to a floor

The defining fact here is density, or the lack of it. Forty-two suites across 15 storeys works out to three or four suites per floor, and listing agents describe it the same way: no more than four per floor. Few towers in the city are built like this, and almost none of them are new.

In practice that means short corridors, fewer neighbours sharing an elevator and suites with windows on two or more sides. Several plans have a den or sunroom with corner exposure and a wrap-around balcony, which is a layout you simply do not see in the narrow, single-exposure suites of a modern tower.

It also means a very small owner base. Every major repair is split 42 ways, and one or two sales a year is a busy year. Both facts shape what you pay and how quickly you can sell.

Suites sized for people leaving houses

Suites run from about 1,130 sq ft up to about 3,337 sq ft. Even the smallest plan here is larger than a typical two-bedroom in a Yonge Street tower, and the top of the range is the size of a semi-detached house.

That is why this building trades almost entirely with downsizers. The buyers I meet for a suite like this usually have a dining table, art and furniture they intend to keep, and they want a separate dining room, a proper foyer and room for guests. Older, bigger plans like these deliver that in a way new construction rarely does.

The catch is age. A 1988 suite that has never been renovated will need a new kitchen, bathrooms and probably flooring, and at these sizes that is a serious budget. Price the renovation before you make an offer, not after.

Ask, too, what the building allows during a renovation. Older boutique buildings often have rules on working hours, elevator bookings and noise, and in a building where you share a floor with only two or three neighbours, those rules matter to everyone.

Across from David Balfour Park

The building sits across from David Balfour Park, with access to the Rosedale ravine trails. For anyone with a dog or a running habit, that is a daily amenity that no rooftop terrace can match.

Rosehill Avenue is a quiet residential street east of Yonge. It is a short walk to the Yonge and St. Clair shops, restaurants and the subway, which is the combination most of my downsizing clients ask for: a ravine at the door and errands on foot. Exact transit distances, schools and Walk Score are in the data panel on this page.

There is a cluster of other condominiums on the same street, including 5 Rosehill and The Rosehill at 70 Rosehill Avenue. If you are serious about this pocket, look at all three; they differ a great deal in size and age.

What the fee actually buys

The fee here covers heat, air conditioning, water, parking, building insurance and common elements. Hydro is not listed as included, so plan for your own electricity bill.

With so few suites, the per-suite cost of a staffed concierge and a full set of building systems is high, and at these suite sizes the monthly figure looks large in absolute terms. Look at it per square foot and against what it replaces: heating, cooling, snow clearing, roof and exterior upkeep for a house of similar size. For many of my clients the comparison is closer than the headline suggests.

A small building also has a small board. Decisions about the fee, the reserve fund and renovations to common areas are made by a handful of owners, which can make the building very well run or slow to act, depending on who is involved. I always read at least two years of board minutes in a building this size, because they tell you far more about how it is governed than the financial statements do.

Pricing and fees at 40 Rosehill

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $950 per square foot. That sits close to The Westclair at 47 St. Clair West (about $922) and a little below The Code at 6 Parkwood (about $968), both of which have smaller suites on average. For a suite this size in this location, the per-foot number is reasonable; it is the total that is large.

When I checked, there was a single four-bedroom suite on the market and nothing for lease. I don’t quote one listing’s asking price or fee, and with this little turnover I would not read much into any one sale anyway.

Because sales are so infrequent, pricing here depends on the specific suite, its renovation and its view more than on any building average. If you want the recorded resale history, ask me for the building sold report and I will walk you through what each comparable actually had.

Building specifications

Amenities at 40 Rosehill Avenue

This is a concierge-and-garden building, not a resort. The package is modest, and the real amenities are across the street: the park and the ravine trails.

Jatin’s honest take on 40 Rosehill Avenue

40 Rosehill Avenue — 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.