Grand Triomphe II, 500 Doris Ave: Tridel Tower Between Finch and North York

Grand Triomphe II is a 2009 Tridel tower on Doris Avenue that still carries the reputation Tridel built in North York: solid construction, a full amenity floor and a lobby that feels a step up from its price. It has 307 suites, larger-than-average layouts and a fee that stays reasonable because heat and hydro are on your own meter. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A Tridel building with a reputation that has held

Tridel has been building condominiums in Toronto for decades, and its North York towers from the 2000s are among the resale buildings buyers ask me about most often in the area. When the Globe and Mail covered a sale here a few years after completion, the listing agent described the building as having a strong local reputation and a lobby that makes you feel underdressed when you walk in.

That reputation matters because it supports resale. In a part of North York with dozens of towers of a similar age, buyers often filter by builder first, and Tridel is one of the names they look for.

The building shares the Triomphe name with the towers on Northtown Way nearby, including Grande Triomphe at 10 Northtown Way and Triomphe at 5 Northtown Way. If you are shopping the area, those are natural comparisons.

An amenity floor built for people who stay home

The amenity list here is long. Listings describe a 24-hour concierge, an indoor pool, a fitness centre, a sauna, a yoga studio, a theatre or media room, party and games rooms, guest suites, a golf simulator and a rooftop terrace with a gazebo and barbecues.

The pool and sauna are the features that bring buyers in. Indoor pools have become less common in newer towers because of their operating cost, and in a 307-suite building that cost is spread across enough owners to stay manageable. The golf simulator is a smaller detail, but it tells you the building was designed for residents who use their amenities year round.

Guest suites are worth noting if family visits for weeks at a time. Ask how they are booked, how far ahead and what they cost.

Larger layouts than most nearby towers

Condos.ca lists suites from about 672 to 2,457 sq ft, so the smallest suites here are bigger than the entry-level one-bedrooms in many newer North York towers. Listings describe hardwood floors, granite counters and full laundry, and some plans have angled living areas rather than perfect rectangles. Walk the suite with your furniture in mind before you judge it by the floor plan.

The suites I saw listed included two-bedroom-plus-den corners with a den big enough to use as an office or a small third bedroom. At the top of the building are larger three-bedroom-plus-den suites that compete with townhouses for family buyers.

Listings commonly include one parking space and one locker. Parking is listed in the fee; confirm on the status certificate what is attached to the suite you are buying.

In a 30-storey tower, the floor and the direction a suite faces make a large difference to light, noise and price. Lower floors facing Doris are closer to street activity, while upper floors get longer views across North York. When you compare two suites of the same size here, the higher one with the more open outlook will usually sell faster and for more, so price that difference in before you make an offer.

Doris Avenue, east of Yonge

Doris Avenue runs parallel to Yonge Street on the east side, which puts the building one block off the main street. You get the shops, restaurants and services of Yonge between Finch and North York Centre without living directly on it. The building also has shops at street level, so some daily errands do not even require crossing the street.

Listings point to a Metro, a Shoppers Drug Mart, cafes and restaurants nearby, and Mel Lastman Square and the North York Centre civic area a short trip south. The transit, school and walkability details are in the data panel on this page.

This stretch of North York continues to change, with more towers proposed along Yonge. Ask what is planned near the building, especially if your suite’s view depends on a site that is still low-rise.

What Grand Triomphe II costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $707 per square foot. For a Tridel building with a full amenity package and larger layouts, that is reasonable for the Yonge and Finch area, and lower than what newer towers along Yonge ask.

When I checked, two suites were for sale, asking between $729,900 and $1,888,000, from a two-bedroom-plus-den of about 900 to 999 sq ft to a large three-bedroom-plus-den. Three suites were listed for lease. With 307 suites, there is usually enough activity to find comparable recent sales.

The fee covers common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat and hydro are not listed, which typically means they are metered to each suite, so budget for those separately. On current listings the fee appears to run under $1 per square foot, which is modest for a building with a pool and 24-hour concierge. Confirm the exact figure and the budget on the status certificate, and ask the seller for a year of heat and hydro bills so you can see the true monthly cost of the suite.

Building specifications

Amenities at Grand Triomphe II

This is a full resort-style package of the kind Tridel built through the 2000s, and the pool, sauna and gym can genuinely replace a club membership. It also means a lot of shared equipment to maintain, which is why the reserve fund study matters. Ask which amenities have been renovated since 2009 and which are still original.

Jatin’s honest take on Grand Triomphe II

Grand Triomphe 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.