Epic on Triangle Park, 68 Abell St: Small Suites on the Old 48 Abell Site

Epic on Triangle Park was the last big piece of the Queen West Triangle, and it sits right at its centre, beside the park the whole plan was built around. It replaced a building that was once the heart of the local artist community, and it is full of small, efficient suites. If you want an entry point near Queen West with plenty of comparables, this is often where I start. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Built on the old 48 Abell site

For years, 48 Abell Street was a converted industrial building that housed artists and served as a community hub for the neighbourhood. When the Queen West Triangle was redeveloped in the late 2000s, the site was planned for new mixed-use buildings, with retail and workshops at grade and residential space above. Epic is the condominium that came out of that process.

UrbanToronto describes Epic as the final phase of the Triangle, the master-planned area between Queen Street, Dovercourt Road and the rail corridor, with the new park at its centre. Kasian, the architect of record, says the project includes live/work units intended to support artists, retail and workshop space at street level, landscaped courtyards and about 425 underground parking spaces.

Sources disagree on the numbers. Condos.ca lists 21 storeys and 476 suites, UrbanToronto lists 20 storeys, and Kasian describes 22 storeys and 478 units. The difference is probably in how mechanical floors and live/work units are counted. The status certificate will give you the exact unit count.

Small, efficient suites, and how to judge them

Suites here run from about 345 sq ft to roughly 1,080 sq ft, and most are compact. Several current listings show two-bedroom plans in the 500 to 699 sq ft range, and one three-bedroom in the 600s. That tells you how tightly the floor plans were drawn.

Compact multi-bedroom plans can be excellent for investors and for roommates, but they need careful inspection. Check whether every bedroom has a real window rather than a borrowed one, how much closet space there is, and whether the living area can hold a sofa and a table at the same time.

Higher floors make a real difference in a building like this. On a compact plan, a clear outlook and more daylight make the suite feel larger than its square footage, while a lower suite facing a neighbouring building can feel tight. Compare the same plan on different floors before you settle on a price.

The live/work units at grade are a different product. They can suit a small business owner or an artist who wants a studio on the street, but ask what the declaration allows in terms of commercial use, signage and customer access before you buy one.

What the fee does and does not cover

The fee here covers common elements, building insurance and water. Heat is not on the condos.ca list, which usually means each suite pays for its own heating and cooling. Hydro is extra too.

Across current listings, fees work out to about $0.97 per square foot. That is on the high side for a building where heat is not included, and it reflects the cost of running a large high-rise with a concierge, a gym and shared outdoor spaces. On small suites, a per-foot figure always looks higher.

When you compare Epic with nearby buildings, add a realistic heating and cooling estimate to the fee. Against Bohemian Embassy on Queen, where heat and air conditioning are both included, the gap in monthly costs is smaller than the asking prices suggest. FibreStream internet is listed among the building’s services, so ask whether any bulk internet charge is built into the fee.

Living on Triangle Park

The best thing about Epic is where it sits. The park is right there, the Drake Hotel is across Queen, and the Gladstone is a short walk west. West Queen West’s restaurants, bars and galleries are on your doorstep, while the building itself is set back from Queen on a quieter street.

Living here also means living in one of the densest new pockets in the west end. Bohemian Embassy, Westside Gallery Lofts, The Curve and Epic all went up within roughly a decade of each other, so the sidewalks, the shops and the park all see a lot of people at peak times. For most owners that is part of the appeal; if you want a quiet building, a smaller mid-rise like The Curve may suit you better.

The rail corridor runs along the southern edge of the Triangle, so south-facing suites should be visited at different times of day. The automatic panel covers transit and walkability.

What Epic on Triangle Park costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $819 per square foot, which is in line with other high-rises in this pocket and below Bohemian Embassy on Queen.

Eight suites were listed for sale when I checked. Asking prices ranged from about $400,000 to about $700,000, with most two-bedrooms in the 500 to 699 sq ft range asking between about $490,000 and $620,000. Fees across those listings ran from roughly $579 to $710 a month.

That depth of supply is useful. With this many suites on the market at once, buyers have choice and room to negotiate, and sellers need to price carefully against the suite next door. For what has actually traded, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Epic on Triangle Park

The amenity package is practical rather than showy: a concierge, a gym, a party room, a rec room, a meeting room and guest suites. The courtyards and the park next door do much of the work that a rooftop deck would do elsewhere.

Jatin’s honest take on Epic on Triangle Park

Epic on Triangle Park — frequently asked questions

Looking at Queen West, Trinity-Bellwoods, Kensington and Little Italy more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.