Haven on the Bluffs, 2229 Kingston Rd: Terraces and Lake Views in Cliffside

Haven on the Bluffs is the building I show buyers who want a newer condo near the Scarborough Bluffs without paying Beach prices. It is a 2019 mid-rise on Kingston Road in Cliffside, stepped back in terraces so that many upper suites look south toward Lake Ontario. The fee looks low, and I’ll explain why that needs a second look. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A terraced building that changed this stretch of Kingston Road

Before Haven, this part of Kingston Road was mostly low-rise commercial frontage with parking in front. VHL Developments replaced an aging motel and a showroom with an 11-storey building that steps back in terraces as it rises, with about 9,300 square feet of retail at street level meant to make the sidewalk more useful to pedestrians.

Master Building Inc. designed it, with TAES Architects also involved and Barber Design Shop on the interiors. The base mixes stone veneer and grey stucco, a three-storey brick section wraps levels two to four, and the stepped upper levels are finished in white stucco with glass balcony guards. It reads as a mid-rise, not a tower.

Sources differ on its form. Early marketing and some listing sites describe two ten-storey towers, while construction coverage describes a single 11-storey building with two addresses, 2229 Kingston Road and 22 East Haven Drive. Condos.ca lists 11 storeys. Walk the site and you will see how the two frontages work; for your purchase, what matters is that it is one corporation, TSCC-2713.

Suite mix: mostly two-bedrooms, with terraces and garden suites

Construction coverage put the suite mix at 2 bachelors, 78 one-bedrooms, 152 two-bedrooms and 27 three-bedrooms. That is a far more family-friendly mix than most new condos, where one-bedrooms dominate. Suites on record run from about 490 to 1,472 square feet.

Early coverage described 9-foot ceilings, marble backsplashes and counters, larger-than-usual balconies, terraces facing the water and ground-level garden suites with private green space. Finishes in any given suite depend on upgrades the first buyer chose, so confirm what you are looking at rather than relying on the original brochure.

The terraces are the reason to look here. On the upper, stepped-back floors a terrace can add a large outdoor room with a view toward the lake. Ask which suites have exclusive-use terraces, what you are allowed to put on them and who pays for the membrane underneath, because terrace membranes are an expensive item and the responsibility should be spelled out in writing.

Why the fee looks low

The fee inclusion list is short: common elements and building insurance. Heat, hydro and water are not on it, and parking is not listed in the fee either. That is common in newer buildings, where suites are individually metered, but it means the fee is only part of your monthly cost.

Active listings when I checked carried fees of about $528 to $853 a month, and condos.ca puts the average at roughly $0.90 per square foot. That is not cheap for a building where you also pay your own utilities. Before you compare it with an older building that includes heat and hydro, add your expected utility bills back in.

The upside of a short inclusion list is control. You pay for the energy you use, so a careful owner in a well-sealed suite can keep costs down, and the corporation’s budget is less exposed to rising utility rates than an all-inclusive older building.

Find out how utilities are billed. Many newer buildings use a submetering company for hydro and water, and those contracts carry their own charges. The status certificate and the disclosure documents will tell you.

Cliffside Village and the bluffs

The building sits on the south side of Kingston Road, just east of Cliffside Drive, in Cliffside Village. The draw is the bluffs and the lake to the south. Shops and restaurants along Kingston Road are within walking distance, and the building’s own retail adds a few more at the door.

Kingston Road in neighbouring Birch Cliff was rezoned for mixed residential and retail use in 2010, and several mid-rise condos have been built or proposed along the corridor since Haven launched. That brings more shops and foot traffic over time, along with more new supply competing with resale suites here.

When VHL launched the project in 2012, it pitched Cliffside as an undervalued pocket ahead of other developers. Some of that has played out, but this is still a commuter location: most owners drive or take the bus to reach the subway.

What Haven on the Bluffs costs per square foot

The building average sits around $708 per square foot on condos.ca. That is high for Scarborough and reflects the building’s relative newness and its location near the lake, but it remains below what you pay in the Beach a few minutes west.

Seven suites were listed for sale and three for rent when I checked, with asking prices ranging from $383,000 to $799,000. That wide range reflects the building’s suite mix, from compact units to large family plans, and it gives buyers genuine choice.

For context, the older buildings in Birch Cliff and Cliffside, such as Henley Gardens on Kingston Road, trade at a similar or slightly lower price per square foot but include heat, hydro and parking in their fees. Haven buys you a building roughly 27 years newer, with modern finishes and terraces, and in exchange you carry your own utility bills.

Terraced and lake-facing suites command a premium over north-facing suites of the same size, so compare like with like. If you want to see how recent trades have gone, my building sold report is the place to start.

Building specifications

Amenities at Haven on the Bluffs

The amenities are modest and outdoors-focused: a rooftop deck and landscaped terrace with barbecues, a gym, a party room, a meeting room and guest suites. There is no pool, which keeps operating costs down, and the outdoor space suits a building whose selling point is the view.

Jatin’s honest take on Haven on the Bluffs

Haven on the Bluffs — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.