Eddington, 175 Hilda Ave: An 11-Storey 1973 Building With Every Utility In

Eddington is the smallest and lowest of the condominium buildings on Hilda Avenue, and for some buyers that is exactly the point. It is an 11-storey building from 1973 with 166 suites, large layouts, an indoor pool and a fee that covers almost every utility you would otherwise pay yourself. It is also more than 50 years old, and that shapes everything I would tell you to check. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mid-rise on a street of towers

Hilda Avenue runs south from Steeles just west of Yonge, and its condominium buildings went up in the 1970s. Eddington, at 11 storeys, is the low one. Its neighbour at 205 Hilda, The Monarchy, rises 23 storeys, and Carrington Tower on Tangreen Court reaches 34. If you dislike long elevator waits and very tall buildings, that difference is worth something.

Condos.ca lists the builder as Steeles Hilda Developments, the same name it gives in the description of The Monarchy, and both buildings are listed with Northcan Property Management today. Two buildings from the same builder and the same era, run by the same manager, make useful comparables for each other, and I would look at both before buying in either. Ask each manager for the same documents and compare how the two corporations have handled the same 50-year-old problems.

The corporation number, YCC-102, tells you how early this building was. It was registered in April 1973, only a few years after Ontario first allowed condominium ownership, so this is one of the older condominium corporations in North York.

Space you rarely see in newer buildings

Condos.ca puts suite sizes at about 860 to 938 square feet, and liv.rent describes floor plans running up to three bedrooms. A three-bedroom in well under 1,000 square feet tells you the rooms are modest, but the plans are designed for families in a way that most 2010s condo layouts are not.

Suites of this age usually have separate kitchens and dining areas rather than one open room, plus real hallway storage. Some owners love that; others open the kitchen up. Before you plan a renovation, ask management about the corporation’s rules on alterations, plumbing moves and flooring, which older buildings often regulate closely to control noise and leaks between suites.

Expect original features unless the seller has updated: older windows, baseboard or fan-coil heating, and electrical panels sized for 1970s appliances. Ask the seller what has been replaced and when.

One fee that covers almost everything

This is the strongest selling point. Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, hydro, water, cable TV, building insurance and parking in the fee. In other words, the electricity bill, the heating bill and a parking space are all in one monthly payment.

That means you should never compare Eddington’s fee directly with a newer building’s. Take the newer building’s fee, add its hydro bill, its heating and cooling, its parking charge and a cable or TV package, and compare that total. The gap is usually much smaller than the headline fees suggest.

Air conditioning is not listed among the inclusions here, unlike at The Monarchy next door. Ask how suites are cooled: some 1970s buildings rely on owner-installed through-wall or window units, which affects both comfort and the rules on what you can install.

Liv.rent describes a secured underground garage, and parking is in the fee. Confirm on the status certificate whether the space is owned, exclusive-use or simply assigned, and whether a locker comes with the suite. In buildings of this era the answer varies from suite to suite, and it changes what you are actually buying.

Daily life near Yonge and Steeles

Liv.rent describes the building as steps from the Yonge and Steeles commercial area and within walking distance of Centerpoint Mall, with bus links to Finch station. The specific transit and school details are in the panel on this page.

Steeles Avenue is the city’s northern boundary, so a short walk takes you into Thornhill and Vaughan as well. Hilda itself is a residential street with houses and older towers, which keeps it calmer than the buildings that face Yonge directly.

The bigger change is to the north. Metrolinx is extending Line 1 about 8 km beyond Finch into Vaughan, Markham and Richmond Hill, with five new stations. It has not set an opening date, but the project is in procurement and early construction, and it is the reason the Yonge and Steeles area is drawing developer interest.

What Eddington costs per square foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $604 per square foot. That is well below what newer towers on Yonge ask, and it reflects the building’s age, its pre-2000 systems and the fact that it lacks the glass-and-amenity packages buyers now expect.

With only one suite for sale at the time of writing, there is no current range of asking prices I can quote fairly, and I do not cite single listings. Supply here is thin, so recent sales matter more than active ones. My building sold report will give you the building’s recent sold history.

When you weigh the price, factor in the inclusions. A fee that covers hydro, heat and parking will look high in dollars per square foot but can work out cheaper month to month than a newer suite with every utility metered separately.

Building specifications

Amenities at Eddington

An indoor pool and sauna in a building of 166 suites is a good package for the era, and the security guard adds a layer most mid-rises lack. Liv.rent also lists a tennis court and recreation centre, which condos.ca does not show, so confirm what is still in use when you visit.

Jatin’s honest take on Eddington

Eddington — 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.