Portrait Condos, 701 Sheppard Ave W: Mid-Rise Living With Parking Included

Portrait Condos is a mid-rise for buyers who would rather have eight storeys and a bundled fee than a tower and a long amenity list. It has 199 suites on Sheppard Avenue West, a rooftop deck and parking included in the fee, which is rarer than it should be. The fee per foot is higher than you might expect, and I will explain why that is not the whole story. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Two eight-storey wings on Sheppard West

UrbanToronto’s project thread lists the site as 695 to 717 Sheppard Avenue West and describes an east wing and a west wing joined by a podium, both eight storeys. The thread title also names Northgrave, which I understand to be the architect, though I have not confirmed that on a primary source.

Norstar Group developed it; early buyers in the forum describe originally dealing with Elm Developments before Norstar took the project on. Completion dates in the thread moved several times between 2010 and 2012, and the corporation was registered in January 2014.

On design, one forum poster called it the best-looking building on this stretch of Sheppard. That is an opinion, but I agree it holds up better than many of the early-2000s mid-rises further west toward Downsview.

Large suites in a mid-rise

Condos.ca puts suites at about 520 to 1,717 square feet. The forum notes that the smaller plans sold out first during pre-construction while the larger, house-style suites took longer, which is a pattern I still see on resale: the big two-plus-den plans are the scarce product here.

Those larger suites are the reason to look at Portrait if you are downsizing from a house in Bathurst Manor, Clanton Park or Armour Heights. You keep a real living and dining space in a building small enough that you know your neighbours.

As always, compare within the same wing and exposure. A suite facing Sheppard and one facing the residential streets behind will differ in noise and light.

Downsizers should also look at practical details that matter more in a large suite: storage space and lockers, whether there is a second parking space, and how move-ins are booked. In an eight-storey building with fewer elevators than a tower, a busy move-in day can tie up an elevator for hours, so ask how the building manages it.

What daily life on Sheppard West is like

This is a busy east-west arterial lined with low-rise retail, plazas and service businesses rather than a walking high street. Most owners drive for big errands, and Allen Road and the 401 are close.

What the location does well is put you between established neighbourhoods. Bathurst Manor and Clanton Park lie to the north and south, with houses, parks and community institutions that have been there for decades, so the streets behind the building are quiet even when Sheppard is not.

The area around Sheppard West between Bathurst and Allen has been filling in with mid-rise condos for two decades, so expect continued construction nearby. Transit, school and walkability figures are in the data panel on this page.

Parking in the fee: what it really saves you

The single most useful line in Portrait’s fee is parking. Condos.ca lists it as included, along with heat, air conditioning and water. In many Toronto buildings, parking carries its own monthly charge on top of the fee, and a suite’s heating and cooling show up on a separate bill.

That makes a straight fee comparison unfair to buildings like this one. When I compare Portrait with a newer neighbour, I add the neighbour’s parking charge and an estimate of its utility bills to its fee first, and only then compare monthly costs.

Confirm two things before you rely on that saving. First, check that the suite you want actually has a parking space attached, and whether it is owned or exclusive-use. Second, read the budget to see whether the bulk utility costs have been rising, because in a bundled building every owner shares that risk.

Pricing: about $693 a foot, and why the fee looks high

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $693 per square foot. Across the current listings asking prices ranged from $370,000 to $649,888 and monthly fees from about $519 to $1,041.

Active fees work out to about $1.02 per square foot, which looks high next to many newer towers. On its own, that comparison is misleading. Condos.ca lists parking, heat, air conditioning, water and building insurance as included here, and at many newer buildings parking is extra and heating and cooling are on your own meter.

Within the building, expect smaller one-bedroom and one-plus-den suites to trade at a higher figure per foot than the large two-plus-den plans, and expect the larger suites to take longer to sell. The large suites also carry the highest fees, so for a downsizer the right comparison is the total monthly cost against keeping a house, not the price alone.

Add those costs back onto the cheaper-looking building and the gap narrows. Mid-rises also spread elevator, roof and staffing costs over fewer suites. Ask me for a building sold report to see real trading history for the suite size you want.

Building specifications

Amenities at Portrait Condos

Condos.ca lists a concierge, a rooftop deck with barbecues permitted, a party room, guest suites and visitor parking. It is a modest package, and the rooftop deck is the one space that makes summer here better than in a typical mid-rise.

Jatin’s honest take on Portrait Condos

Portrait Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.