High Park Condominiums, 70 High Park Ave: A Tower Behind a 1928 Church

Most condo lobbies on High Park Avenue look like they came out of the same catalogue. This one is a 1928 church. High Park Condominiums kept the classical portico and entrance of the old Third Church of Christ, Scientist and put a 20-storey tower behind it, and the result is one of the more distinctive arrivals in the west end. The heritage is real, but so are the questions an older tower raises, and I will walk you through both. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A church portico with a tower behind it

The base of this building is the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, a Modern Classical church designed by Toronto architect Murray Brown, who was better known for his theatres. The Architectural Conservancy Ontario’s TOBuilt record dates it to 1928; strata.ca gives 1920. I trust the heritage record, but you will see both dates in listings.

When the site was redeveloped in the early 2000s, the church facade was preserved in place, along with the main entry and foyer, and the tower was built up behind and above it. The portico still carries its carved inscription across the top, and you walk through a bronze door into what became the residential lobby. Architizer’s project profile and the ACO record both describe this integration; the ACO record also lists Graziani + Corazza among the architects involved, without spelling out their exact role.

One heritage record says the church still operates on the main floor. I have not been able to confirm that from a current source, so if it matters to you, ask management directly.

Art Deco inside, 2005 tower above

The common areas lean into the history. Sources describe an Art Deco lobby with terrazzo and marble floors and crown mouldings, plus a rear courtyard. It is a lobby people remember, which is not something I can say about most 2005 buildings.

Above the lobby, the suites are a conventional mid-2000s tower product: roughly 9-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, granite counters, big windows and private balconies on many suites. Listings and building profiles talk up the city views from balconies on the upper floors, and in a 20-storey building surrounded by lower streets, floor height and exposure are where a lot of the value sits.

The suite mix is weighted toward two-bedrooms. Strata.ca’s breakdown puts about two-thirds of suites in two-bedroom plans and most of the rest in one-bedrooms, with only a few with dens. That is unusual for a west-end tower, where one-bedrooms usually dominate, and it makes this building more useful to couples who need a second bedroom or an office.

The fee and what it carries

The fee here covers common elements, heat, air conditioning, building insurance, parking and water. Hydro is yours. With heat, cooling and parking bundled, the monthly number will look higher than at a newer building that meters those separately, so compare the total cost rather than the fee line.

There was only one suite for sale when I checked, so I am not going to quote a fee or price from it. Ask for the current budget and the fee schedule for the specific suite, and look at how fees have moved over the last few years. In a tower of this age, steady increases are normal; sudden jumps usually point to a reserve fund that fell behind.

Bundled heat and cooling also means you share the cost of running the building’s central plant with every other owner. That is a benefit in a cold winter or a hot summer, but it also means the age and condition of that equipment is your problem too, so ask when it was last replaced and what the reserve study expects next.

Daily life on High Park Avenue

High Park Avenue is a residential street of mostly older apartment towers and houses, running north from Bloor. The building puts you a short walk from the north edge of High Park, from the shops along Bloor West Village and from the Junction to the north, so most errands and a lot of weekend time happen on foot.

Being north of Bloor rather than on it keeps the building away from the main traffic and retail noise, while still putting the subway and the Bloor strip close by. The transit, school and park details are in the data panel on this page.

Pricing: two-bedrooms trade below the building average

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $972 per square foot. Strata.ca’s transaction data splits that sharply by suite type: one-bedrooms have averaged around $1,094 per square foot, with sales clustering in the high $500,000s, while two-bedrooms have averaged closer to $918 per square foot, with sales in roughly the $690,000 to $745,000 range.

That gap is the useful insight. The larger two-bedroom plans, which make up most of the building, are where you get the most space for the money, while one-bedrooms carry the premium that small suites always do. A view suite on a high floor will sit at the top of any range.

With only one suite listed at the time of writing, there was no current asking range to report. For recent recorded trades in the building, see my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at High Park Condominiums

The amenities are a standard set for a 2005 tower: a gym, a party room, a media room, a billiards and recreation room and a courtyard behind the building. There is no pool, and for most owners the real amenity is the heritage lobby and High Park a short walk south.

Jatin’s honest take on High Park Condominiums

High Park Condominiums — frequently asked questions

Looking at High Park North more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.