Empire Phoenix is a 29-storey, 499-suite condominium at 251 Manitoba Street in Mimico, completed in 2021 by Empire Communities and managed by Duka Property Management.
It sits in the Manitoba Street pocket — inland of Lake Shore Boulevard, north of the Mimico GO corridor — which is a genuinely different location from the Humber Bay Shores waterfront towers a few blocks southeast, even though listings often describe both as “Mimico.” That distinction is worth real money, and it is the first thing I explain to buyers looking here.
Empire Phoenix at a glance
| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 251 Manitoba Street (the complex record also covers 253 Manitoba Street) | condos.ca, strata.ca |
| Storeys | 29 | condos.ca, strata.ca |
| Suites | 499 | condos.ca, strata.ca |
| Completed | 2021 | strata.ca |
| Developer | Empire Communities | condos.ca |
| Property management | Duka Property Management | condos.ca |
| Neighbourhood | Mimico | condos.ca, strata.ca |
| Condominium corporation number | Not published on either source I checked | — |
The 29-storey and 499-suite figures appear on database pages titled “251–253 Manitoba St.” I could not confirm from those pages whether 499 is the total across both addresses or the count at 251 alone. If the exact suite count matters to your analysis — for instance because you are modelling a per-unit share of a capital expenditure — get it from the declaration in the status certificate rather than from me or from a database.
What is in the building
Combining what both databases list: concierge, gym, outdoor pool, rooftop deck, sauna, party room, visitor parking, and Beanfield fibre internet service to the building.
Two of those deserve comment.
- The outdoor pool. Outdoor pools in Toronto condos are a four-month amenity that you heat, insure, staff and maintain for twelve. They are genuinely lovely in July. They are also a line item in every year’s budget. This is not a reason to avoid the building — it is a reason to read the reserve fund study and see how the pool is being planned for.
- Beanfield fibre. Buildings wired for Beanfield usually have a bulk internet arrangement, which can be excellent value or an unwanted fixed cost depending on whether you would have chosen that provider anyway. Ask specifically whether internet is billed through the maintenance fee or separately.
Manitoba Street is not the waterfront — and that is the point
The single most common misunderstanding I correct with buyers looking at Empire Phoenix is location. Humber Bay Shores — the wall of towers along Marine Parade Drive and Lake Shore Boulevard West — is a distinct sub-market with a distinct price. Manitoba Street sits inland of it.
What that means in practice:
- You are not paying the lake premium. Waterfront-adjacent suites in Humber Bay carry a measurable premium over inland Mimico product of comparable age and finish. Buying inland is one of the more reliable ways to get newer construction in this area for less money.
- You are also not getting the lake. No unobstructed water views, no five-minute walk to the Martin Goodman Trail waterfront section, no Humber Bay Park at the door. Some buyers do not care. Some care enormously. Be honest with yourself about which you are before you compare prices.
- You are closer to Mimico’s actual village. The Royal York and Mimico Avenue stretch — the independent shops, the bakeries, Mimico Memorial Park — is on this side. That is a real amenity that waterfront towers do not have.
Transit and getting around
The nearest surface stop is Grand Avenue at Manitoba Street, on the south side, within walking distance of the building. Old Mill subway station is roughly eight minutes away by car according to strata.ca — which is another way of saying it is not a walking commute.
The practical picture: this is a transit-adequate, car-convenient location. Gardiner access is close. Mimico GO is in the neighbourhood. For a buyer whose commute is a downtown office by GO train, that combination works well. For a buyer who wants to walk to a subway platform, it does not.
When I checked this building on 23 August 2026, the two large public condo databases — condos.ca and strata.ca — disagreed about what the monthly fee covers. That pattern held on most South Etobicoke buildings I checked, which tells me at least one of them is populating the field from individual MLS listings rather than from the corporation’s budget. Under my licence I’m not willing to publish a fee inclusion list I can’t stand behind. The only reliable source is the status certificate, which the corporation must provide within 10 days of a written request and a fee capped at $100 including HST under Ontario’s Condominium Act. Ask for it before you waive conditions, and have your lawyer read it.
What I would check before writing an offer here
- The status certificate, in full, with a lawyer. Non-negotiable in a building this size. You are looking for the reserve fund study’s adequacy, any special assessment history, any litigation, and the actual fee inclusions.
- The reserve fund plan for the pool and the outdoor amenity deck. Outdoor amenities in a 2021 building are approaching their first real maintenance cycle.
- Whether the suite comes with parking and a locker, in writing, on the legal description. Never from a photograph.
- The rental ratio and any short-term rental rules. A 499-suite building near the Gardiner is a plausible short-term rental target. Ask the manager what the declaration and rules say, and whether the board enforces them.
- Noise exposure. Manitoba Street backs onto rail and industrial land in places. Visit the specific suite at two different times of day, including a weekday morning, with the windows open.
The takeaway
Empire Phoenix is a well-amenitised 2021 tower in the part of Mimico that gives you new construction without the waterfront premium. Whether that is a bargain or a compromise depends entirely on whether the lake mattered to you in the first place. The building facts are solid and well corroborated; the fee inclusions are not, and I would not let anyone waive conditions here without a lawyer’s read of the status certificate.
Thinking about this building?
Send me the unit number or the listing link. I’ll tell you what I actually know about the building, what I’d want to see in the status certificate, and whether the price makes sense against what has sold. No pitch, no obligation.
connect@jatindua.com · 437-987-1925 · Book a free consultation
Confidential. Reviewed personally and answered within 24 hours. I never share, sell or distribute your information.
Frequently asked questions
How many units are in Empire Phoenix?
Both condos.ca and strata.ca list 499 suites across 29 storeys. Note that those figures sit on a page covering 251 and 253 Manitoba Street, so I would confirm the exact count for the individual corporation in the status certificate.
When was Empire Phoenix built?
strata.ca lists 2021 as the completion year. It was developed by Empire Communities.
Is Empire Phoenix in Humber Bay Shores?
No. It is in Mimico, on Manitoba Street, inland of the Lake Shore. Humber Bay Shores is the waterfront cluster along Marine Parade Drive and Lake Shore Boulevard West to the southeast. Listings sometimes blur the two, but the price difference between them is real, and so is the difference in what you can walk to.
Who is the property manager at 251 Manitoba Street?
condos.ca lists Duka Property Management as of 23 August 2026. Management contracts turn over, so confirm the current manager in the status certificate.
Does Empire Phoenix have a pool?
Yes, an outdoor pool, along with a gym, sauna, rooftop deck, party room, concierge and visitor parking. An outdoor pool is a seasonal amenity with a year-round cost, so it is worth reading how the reserve fund study treats it.
What is the closest subway station to Empire Phoenix?
Old Mill station, about eight minutes by car per strata.ca. It is not a walkable subway commute. The nearest surface transit stop is Grand Avenue at Manitoba Street.
Sources
- condos.ca — Empire Phoenix Condos, 251 Manitoba St. Building profile: storeys, suite count, developer, property management and amenity list. Accessed 23 August 2026.
- strata.ca — 251 Manitoba St, Empire Phoenix Condos. Building profile: completion year, additional amenities and nearest transit stop. Accessed 23 August 2026.
- Condominium Act, 1998, S.O. 1998, c. 19 (Ontario). The statute governing status certificates, the 10-day delivery requirement and the prescribed maximum fee. Accessed 23 August 2026.
- Condominium Authority of Ontario. Ontario’s condominium regulator and the public registry of condominium corporations. Accessed 23 August 2026.
Related reading
- Humber Bay Shores condo buildings — the complete guide
- The lake premium: waterfront vs inland in Etobicoke
- Living at Vita Two, 2167 Lake Shore Boulevard West
- What a status certificate tells you about an Ontario condo
- Older vs new condos in Humber Bay Shores
About the author — Jatin Dua, Etobicoke real estate agent
I’m a licensed Realtor with RE/MAX Quantum Realty at 799 The Queensway in Etobicoke, a few minutes from every building on this page. I work with buyers, sellers and investors across Mimico, Humber Bay Shores, New Toronto, Long Branch, Alderwood and the Stonegate–Queensway corridor. I write these building guides the way I’d brief a client at my own kitchen table: what is documented, what isn’t, and where the published numbers disagree with each other.
Questions about a specific suite? connect@jatindua.com or 437-987-1925.