Atrium II, 65 Spring Garden Ave: Big Suites and an All-In Fee

Atrium II is where I send families who need a house’s worth of space near Yonge and Sheppard and do not want to pay house prices. The smallest suite here is bigger than most new three-bedrooms in North York, and the fee covers almost every utility. It is a 1984 building, and that cuts both ways. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A tower with no small suites

The defining fact about Atrium II is size. Suites run from about 1,477 sq ft to about 2,206 sq ft. In a part of North York where new towers are mostly one-bedrooms under 600 sq ft, this building has none of those at all.

What comes to market is mostly two-bedroom-plus-den and three-bedroom plans. A renovated three-bedroom I looked at had an eat-in kitchen, a primary bedroom with a five-piece ensuite and two double closets, a full-size laundry room and a large balcony. That is the kind of layout you normally have to buy a townhouse to get.

Bramalea built it in 1984, when suburban condominium buyers were often moving out of houses and expected house-scale rooms. The building was designed for that buyer, and it still suits that buyer today.

Renovation level varies widely from suite to suite. Some have been fully redone with engineered hardwood, custom kitchens and new bathrooms; others are closer to original. With suites this large, a full renovation is a serious budget, so the condition of a suite can move its value more than its floor or exposure.

Ask for the floor plan and the exposure. West-facing suites get the afternoon light and the sunsets, and higher floors in a 23-storey building can see a long way across a mostly low-rise neighbourhood to the east and west.

Squash, a pool and a tennis court

The amenity list is from an era when buildings were planned for residents who stayed home. Condos.ca lists a squash court, a sauna, concierge and security, and listings add an indoor pool, a gym, a tennis court, a guest suite and visitor parking.

A squash court is rare in any Toronto condo, and in North York it is close to unique. If you play, it is a genuine reason to choose this building over its neighbours.

The other side is cost. Pools, courts and saunas in a 40-year-old building need ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement, and all 245 owners share it. Before you buy, ask management which amenities have been refurbished and what the reserve fund study budgets for them.

The fee covers almost everything

Monthly fees on current listings ran from about $1,364 to $1,729. On paper that is a lot. But the fee here covers hydro, heat, air conditioning, cable TV, water, parking and building insurance as well as common elements.

In most newer North York towers, hydro and heating or cooling are metered to each suite and parking is a separate charge. For a 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft suite, those bills are substantial. Add them back and the gap between Atrium II and a newer building narrows a great deal.

There is a second advantage that is easy to miss: predictability. With utilities in the fee, your monthly cost does not jump in a cold January or a hot August, which matters to retirees on a fixed income and to families budgeting tightly.

Condos.ca lists a pet restriction but does not set out the details. If you have a pet, ask for the declaration and rules before you make an offer.

Spring Garden Avenue, a block off Yonge

Spring Garden Avenue runs east from Yonge Street just north of Sheppard, so you are off the main road but close to the shops, restaurants and services along Yonge between Sheppard and Finch. Rodeo Walk at 30 Greenfield Avenue and Platinum Towers XO at 18 Spring Garden Avenue are your nearest condominium neighbours.

This stretch of Willowdale has been densifying for 30 years and is still changing. Ask what has been proposed on nearby lots, because a new tower can change a view or a sunset in a way no renovation can fix. The data panel on this page lists the transit, schools and parks nearby.

Where Atrium II sits on price

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $633 per square foot. That is low for Yonge and Sheppard, and the reason is simple: buyers pay a premium per foot for small, new suites, and the per-foot price falls as suites get larger and older.

Four suites were for sale when I checked, asking from about $863,000 to about $1,288,000. Three were two-bedroom-plus-den plans and one was a three-bedroom. The spread mostly reflects size and renovation, so look closely at the finishes and the age of the kitchen and bathrooms before you compare asking prices.

For a family, the useful comparison is not another condo’s price per foot. It is what a townhouse or semi of similar size costs in the area, plus that home’s utility bills. On that basis, a suite here with an all-in fee often comes out well.

In my experience, large suites bought mostly by end users can take longer to sell than small units in newer towers, because the pool of buyers is narrower. That can give a patient buyer some room to negotiate, particularly on a suite that needs work, so check how long a suite has been listed.

My building sold report shows how the building has actually traded, in aggregate.

Building specifications

Amenities at Atrium II

Squash, tennis and a pool make this one of the more complete sports packages in North York. If you will use them, they replace a club membership; if you will not, remember that you are still paying to maintain them.

Jatin’s honest take on Atrium II

Atrium II — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yonge & Eglinton, Davisville and North Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.