Arc Condos, 2885 Bayview Ave: Daniels’ Curved Tower by Bayview Village

Arc is the building people point at when they drive up Bayview to Sheppard: the long, curved, ship-like one beside Bayview Village. It was finished in 2009 by Daniels, designed by Kirkor Architects, and it has one of the more complete fee packages in this part of North York. The question is whether the price per square foot still makes sense, and I will walk through it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The ship on Bayview

Kirkor Architects wrapped Arc in curving bands of aluminium so the whole building reads as one long, streamlined form. Canadian Architect described it as a ship, and forum commenters during construction compared it to a cruise liner or a spacecraft. Whatever you call it, it is one of the few buildings in this area with a shape you remember.

The south end steps down toward the subway entrance, and the east side, which faces the mall, carries the main entrance, loading and servicing. Terraces break up the bulk, and the roof uses green-roof planting. The point is that this was designed as a landmark on a narrow site, not as another podium-and-tower.

Sources disagree on the basic numbers, so I will not pick one. Condos.ca lists 15 storeys and 443 suites, the UrbanToronto project thread says 16 storeys, and the Canadian Architect write-up says 12 storeys and 447 suites. The stepped form explains some of this, because the building is not the same height along its length.

A distinctive shape has a practical side. Curved glazing and aluminium bands are part of the building’s identity, and they are also elements that will need inspection, sealing and eventually replacement. That is not a reason to avoid Arc, but it is a reason to read the reserve fund study’s cladding and window lines carefully.

Heat, air conditioning and parking in the fee

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, building insurance, parking, water and air conditioning as fee inclusions. That is close to a full package. In many newer North York towers, heat and cooling run through your own meter and parking is a separate charge, so the monthly fee looks lower than it really is.

Across current listings the fee averages about $0.82 per square foot. With heating and cooling covered, that is competitive, and it makes your monthly budget predictable through both a cold January and a hot July. Hydro for lights and appliances is not listed, so budget for that separately.

The catch with bundled utilities is that you share everyone’s usage. If energy costs rise, the whole building pays through the fee. Look at the utilities line in the last two budgets to see how fast it has been climbing.

A wide range of suite sizes

Suites here run from about 405 to 2,172 sq ft, which is a wider spread than most buildings of this age in the area. Current listings are mostly studios, one-bedrooms and one-plus-dens between roughly 450 and 800 sq ft, which tells you where most of the stock sits.

The large suites at the top of the range are rare and trade infrequently, so do not assume there will always be one available. A curved building also produces some unusual floor plans, with angled walls and wedge-shaped rooms on the bends. Look at where your furniture will actually go before you judge a plan by its square footage.

With roughly 443 suites, this is a busy building. Expect elevator waits at the morning rush and plenty of move-ins and move-outs, especially with the number of suites listed for lease at any time.

Ask about parking and lockers for the specific suite. Parking is listed in the fee, but that only helps if a space is actually deeded or assigned to the suite you buy, and in buildings with many small suites, some units were sold without one.

Daily life at Bayview and Sheppard

The location is the main reason buyers choose Arc. Bayview Village Shopping Centre is next door, and Canadian Architect describes the building as sitting over the Bayview subway station on the Sheppard line. Transit details are in the panel on this page, but the practical point is simple: you can run most errands on foot and get downtown without a car.

Across Bayview is Merci, another Daniels and Kirkor building from the same years, much lower and terraced. Between the two you can compare a big, busy tower with a seven-storey building on the same corner, and that is a useful exercise before you decide which way of living suits you.

Bayview and Sheppard keeps growing. Check the City of Toronto development applications map for anything planned on the surrounding blocks, especially if you are looking at a suite whose view depends on what stays low next door.

What Arc costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $790 per square foot. That is a premium over several older buildings on Sheppard East, and the location and the fee package are what you are paying for. Smaller suites carry the highest prices per foot, so a studio will look expensive on that measure.

When I checked, six suites were for sale and six for lease. Asking prices ran from $348,888 to $564,900. Those one-bedroom asks work out close to the building average.

Remember that heat, cooling and parking are already in the roughly $0.82 per square foot fee. Add those costs back to a cheaper-looking building before you compare. For recorded sales, use the market data on this page or ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Arc Condos

The amenity terrace, with its lit trellis and skyline views, is the feature that sets Arc apart; the rest is a practical package of concierge, guest suites, media, meeting and party rooms. Guest suites matter more than people expect in a building full of one-bedrooms, because visiting family has somewhere to stay.

Jatin’s honest take on Arc Condos

Arc Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.