DuEast, 225 Sumach St: Daniels’ Family-Minded Regent Park Pair

DuEast is the building I point to when someone asks what the Regent Park revitalization actually produced for owners. It sits right on the six-acre park and next to the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre, it was planned with families in mind, and it is now old enough to have a real resale record. The fees are the thing to watch. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Part of the Regent Park rebuild, not just next to it

Daniels has been the developer partner on the Regent Park revitalization for close to two decades, and DuEast was one of the later market condominiums in that plan. The site is at the corner of Dundas and Sumach, facing the central park, with the aquatic centre beside it and retail and commercial space on the lower floors.

That position matters more than any finish. You are buying into the finished core of the revitalization, with the park, the pool, the athletic grounds and the Daniels Spectrum arts centre all in place, rather than a lot that is still waiting for its neighbours.

The two buildings were designed by Core Architects. Sources list them at 29 storeys and 11 storeys, about 96 metres and 42 metres tall. The tower holds most of the suites; the mid-rise on Tubman is the smaller, more boutique part of the project, which is where the “DuEast Boutique” name comes from.

Designed for families, and choosing a suite

When DuEast launched, the amenities were pitched at young families, which is unusual in a downtown condo. There is a kids’ zone, a co-working and meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fitness centre, all designed by Mason Studio. Building data also lists concierge and a party room.

The suite mix backs that up. Plans ran from studios to three-bedrooms, with the largest at about 1,217 square feet at launch. Three-bedroom condos are scarce in downtown east Toronto, and the ones here come up rarely, so if you need one, set an alert and be ready to move.

Most of the stock is still studios, one-bedrooms and one-plus-dens. The current listings run from under 500 square feet to the 700s, which makes the building popular with first-time buyers and investors as well.

The two buildings share one condominium corporation, but they live differently. The mid-rise on Tubman is smaller and quieter, with fewer neighbours per elevator, and its suites sit closer to the trees and the street. The tower has the views: upper floors on the park side look across the green toward the downtown skyline, and the other sides look out over Cabbagetown, Corktown and toward the Don Valley.

Low floors in the tower face Dundas and the retail at grade, so expect street and delivery noise. If you work from home, I would rather have a mid-floor suite facing the park than a low one facing the street, even at a small premium.

In a building this new, the den is often an open nook rather than a room. Measure it, check for a window and a door, and price it as a den, not a second bedroom, when you compare listings.

Green building features you will actually notice

The City of Toronto profiles DuEast as a Toronto Green Standard Tier 2 project. It was modelled to use about a third less energy than a standard reference building, with LED lighting, Energy Star appliances and efficient ventilation and hot water systems.

Two features are easy to see. More than 95 percent of the glass has a bird-friendly frit pattern, and there is more bike parking than the City requires, roughly one long-term space per suite. There are also green roof areas, a three-stream waste system and a household hazardous waste room.

None of this guarantees low fees, but efficient systems should help the operating budget over time. Ask the board how utilities are metered: whether heat and cooling are shared or on suite meters makes a large difference to your total monthly cost.

Daily life on Dundas and Sumach

You have the central park at your door, the aquatic centre for lane swims and family swims, and a growing strip of shops and cafés along Dundas. Riverdale Farm and Cabbagetown are a short walk north, and the Lower Don Trail is to the east.

Regent Park is still a mixed neighbourhood with social housing alongside market condos, which was the point of the plan. Some buyers love that; some want somewhere quieter. Walk the area at different times of day before you decide, and use the panel on this page for transit and Walk Score.

Price per square foot and the fee question

DuEast averages about $829 per square foot. That is in line with newer downtown east buildings and well below the towers closer to Yonge.

Across eight current listings asking prices run from about $405,000 to $599,000. Studios and one-bedrooms under 500 square feet ask roughly $405,000 to $499,000, larger one-bedrooms around $520,000 to $527,000, and two-bedrooms in the 700s about $498,000 to $550,000. The overlap between one- and two-bedroom asking prices tells you that floor, view and parking move value as much as bedroom count.

Fees on those listings run from about $320 to $675 a month and average about $0.98 per square foot. That is high for a building this new. I could not confirm what the fee includes, so get the breakdown before you compare: if heat and water are included, the number is easier to accept than if they are billed separately.

Building specifications

Amenities at DuEast Condominiums

The amenities are practical rather than flashy. The kids’ zone and the work space get used, and the city’s aquatic centre next door does the job a condo pool would, without the condo paying for it.

Jatin’s honest take on DuEast Condominiums

DuEast Condominiums — 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.