Mosaic Condos, 736 Spadina Ave: An Ornamented Tower Just South of Bloor

Mosaic is the building I show buyers who want the Annex and the University of Toronto on foot but would rather not live in a century house. It is a 2008 tower on Spadina just south of Bloor, with a fee that covers heat and air conditioning and a suite range that runs from small one-bedrooms to penthouses over 3,000 square feet. Its facade divides opinion; its location rarely does. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A tower that dresses up for Spadina

Northgrave Architect designed Mosaic with a precast concrete and glass exterior and, unusually for a 2008 tower, applied ornament: moulded reliefs, a scroll-like frieze and rounded details on the pilasters of the podium. On the SkyriseCities forum at completion, the ornament was the thing people argued about. Some found it fussy; others liked that the podium meets the street and fits its neighbours.

Whatever you think of the frieze, the massing works. The podium holds the line of Spadina with retail at grade, and the tower sits back above it. To the north is the Jewish community centre at Bloor and Spadina, and to the south is a concrete brutalist building that forum commenters compared to Mosaic’s own wide, squat proportions.

The sources disagree on the count. Condos.ca records 21 storeys and 216 suites, while the building page kept by a rental manager says 20 storeys and 218 units. The difference is probably how penthouse levels and combined suites are counted, but confirm the figure in the status certificate if it matters to you.

From 441 square feet to over 3,000

Condos.ca records suites from about 441 to 3,314 square feet, which is an unusually wide range for one building. At the bottom are compact one-bedrooms suited to students and investors; at the top are large penthouse suites that compete with houses in the Annex.

That spread shapes the building. A tower that holds both studio-sized suites and penthouses tends to attract a mix of owners, from students and investors to long-term residents, rather than one single type of buyer. When you compare suites, focus on exposure and floor height, and stand on the balcony before you decide; the view and the light change a great deal from one side of the tower to the other.

Parking and lockers exist in the garage, but parking is not in the fee inclusions, so it is either owned with the suite or not at all. Visitor parking is listed among the amenities. Confirm exactly what is deeded with the suite you are considering.

The amenity floor and the rooftop

The package is broader than most towers of this size. There is a 24-hour concierge, a fitness facility, a dining room with a serving kitchen, a media area and a games room, a meeting room, a guest suite, a landscaped patio with a water feature, and a rooftop terrace.

The dining room with its own kitchen is the useful one. It lets owners in smaller suites host a proper dinner, which matters in a building where many suites are compact. The rooftop terrace, a few blocks from Bloor, is the other highlight.

The guest suite is more useful here than in most buildings. Near a university, owners have parents, visiting academics and friends passing through, and a bookable suite down the hall saves a hotel bill. Ask how far ahead it books up and what it costs per night.

Spadina and Bloor, day to day

You are just south of the Bloor and Spadina corner, with the Annex to the north and west, the University of Toronto to the east and Harbord Street’s restaurants a short walk south. Matt Cohen Park sits across the street, and the community centre at the corner is a neighbourhood anchor.

Spadina is a wide, busy avenue, so the street-facing suites on lower floors will hear it. If quiet matters, look higher or toward the back. Visit in the evening as well as during the day; this corner is busy with students and diners after dark, which is part of its appeal and also something you will hear on a warm night with the windows open. Transit, schools and nearby parks are summarised in the data panel on this page.

Price per square foot, and reading the fee

Condos.ca shows an average of about $873 per square foot for the building. That sits at the upper end for resale towers of this age in this part of the city, which reflects the address: being a block from Bloor and the university carries a premium that does not fade with building age.

Only one suite was for sale when I checked, so there is no meaningful asking range to quote. With so wide a size range, the building average can also mislead in both directions; small suites tend to trade higher per square foot and penthouses lower. Price any suite against its own size band in the building.

When you set Mosaic against a newer tower nearby, compare the full monthly cost rather than the fee alone. Many newer buildings put heating and cooling on each owner’s own meter, so their lower fee is only part of the picture. Add a realistic utility bill back to the newer building and the gap often narrows.

The fee covers heat, air conditioning, building insurance, water and common elements, which is generous. Parking is not included, and hydro is billed separately through a submetering company. Ask for the current budget and the fee history, and use my building sold report for the aggregate trades.

Building specifications

Amenities at Mosaic Condos

The amenities are built around entertaining and getting outside: a dining room you can book, a patio and a rooftop terrace. In a building with many small suites, those shared rooms take the place of space you would otherwise have to buy.

Jatin’s honest take on Mosaic Condos

Mosaic Condos — 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.