86 Gloucester St, The Shoreham: 1978 Condo With a Rooftop Pool

86 Gloucester Street, known as The Shoreham, is one of the oldest condominiums in this part of downtown, and it shows its age in the best way. It has 106 suites, a rooftop outdoor pool, a regulation squash court and a fee that covers hydro, heat and cable. It is a building for people who want a settled, owner-heavy community off Church Street rather than a new tower. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One of the first condominiums in the area

The Shoreham was finished in 1978 and is often described as one of the first condominium towers in the neighbourhood. Its corporation number, YCC-427, uses the older York Condominium numbering that predates the MTCC and TSCC numbers on most of the towers around Church and Wellesley today.

It sits on a tree-lined stretch of Gloucester Street between Church and Jarvis, with a lobby that has kept its heritage-style detailing. In a part of the city full of glass, this is a 13-storey concrete and brick building that has been in the same place for almost 50 years.

Agents who know the building describe it as well kept, with many long-term owners and a social calendar that includes an annual holiday party and a summer garden party. That kind of community is hard to manufacture and hard to find in newer buildings.

Suites, ceilings and the townhouse units

Suites are one- and two-bedroom plans. Condos.ca puts them at about 737 to 1,300 square feet, while one agent’s building description starts the range closer to 650, so check the actual size of any suite against the floor plan in the declaration.

Listings describe nine-foot ceilings, breakfast nooks and balconies with floor-to-ceiling walkouts, which is more generous than many 1970s buildings. Many suites have been renovated over the years, so condition varies widely from one suite to the next.

The building also has a small number of two-storey townhouse-style units at the base, which are listed with their own TH numbers. If you want a ground-level feel with building services, ask about those specifically.

If you are coming from a newer tower, the floor plans here will feel different. Rooms are more defined, and there is more wall space for furniture and art, which many downsizers prefer.

A rooftop pool and a regulation squash court

The amenities are the surprise here. There is an outdoor pool on the roof with a sundeck, a regulation squash court, an exercise room, a sauna and a jogging track, plus a party room with a wet bar and a meeting room. There is 24-hour security and visitor parking.

A rooftop pool in a 106-suite building is rare, and it is a real pleasure in summer. It is also a costly piece of infrastructure on a roof that is nearly 50 years old, which is why the reserve fund deserves your attention.

Daily life on Gloucester Street

Gloucester is a quiet residential block, but you are a couple of minutes from Church Street and the Village, and Yonge Street is close enough to walk. Bloor Street and Yorkville are within a reasonable walk north and west.

The surrounding blocks have filled in with towers since 1978, and redevelopment pressure along Church and Yonge continues. Expect construction somewhere nearby in most years. The panel on this page covers transit and Walk Score.

Price per square foot, and what an all-inclusive fee really means

The building has averaged about $607 per square foot, well below the newer towers around Church and Wellesley. Age and the cost of renovation explain much of that, and so does the fee.

What the fee covers is the important part. Condos.ca lists heat, hydro, water and cable TV, and a recent listing described the fee as all-inclusive with Bell Fibe internet, cable and a streaming package. If that is current, your only monthly bill beyond the fee and taxes may be your phone, which is very unusual.

Most buyers compare buildings by the fee alone, and that makes The Shoreham look expensive next to a newer tower. That comparison is unfair to this building. When hydro, heat, water and cable are covered, you are comparing one bill against four or five separate ones.

The trade-off is control. With utilities pooled, you cannot reduce your own bill by being careful, and when energy costs rise for the building, everyone’s fee rises with them. Ask how the board buys power and gas and how the utility line in the budget has moved over the last few years.

Parking is not in the condos.ca list of inclusions, and listings describe underground and tandem spaces. If parking matters to you, confirm whether the suite comes with a space, whether it is a tandem spot shared in line with another car, and whether there is a separate charge.

For a rough sense of scale, a typical owner in a newer tower might pay a separate hydro bill plus internet and television, which together can run a few hundred dollars a month. If the inclusions here are confirmed, that is money you would otherwise be paying on top of a lower-looking fee elsewhere.

There were no active listings at the time of writing, so I can’t give you a current asking range or fee range. My building sold report shows what has actually traded here, and I can set up an alert so you hear when a suite comes up.

Building specifications

Amenities at 86 Gloucester (The Shoreham)

A rooftop pool and a squash court in a 106-suite building give you resort-style summers without a club membership. Because the building is small, they are rarely crowded. Ask when the roof and pool deck were last redone, because that is the single largest item on a rooftop pool.

Jatin’s honest take on 86 Gloucester (The Shoreham)

86 Gloucester (The Shoreham) — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.