Primrose Towers I, 1101 Steeles Ave W: The First Menkes Tower, With Tennis

Primrose Towers I is the first of the three Menkes towers on Steeles West, and it is the one I look at first when a buyer wants space plus a tennis court. Suites start around 1,000 square feet, the fee includes heat, hydro, cooling, cable and parking, and the price per square foot is under $400. It is an older building in a car-friendly location, and the right buyer is fine with both. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The first of three Primrose towers

Menkes built the Primrose complex as three towers along Steeles Avenue West, at 1101, 1121 and 1131. Primrose I, at 1101, registered first, in February 1989, as MTCC-808. Primrose II followed that October.

Each tower is a separate corporation with its own budget, reserve fund and board. They share a developer, a design era and a street, but not their finances, so the fee and the reserve fund are the first things to compare when you are choosing between them.

Primrose I lists a tennis court and a games room among its amenities, which makes it worth a close look for buyers who will actually use them.

Buyers who look at Primrose I nearly always look at 1121 and 1131 too. The suites are similar in size and age, so the choice usually comes down to the fee, the health of the reserve fund and the condition and view of the particular suite.

On current listings, fees here run higher than at Primrose II, roughly $1,130 to $1,410 a month against a little under $1,000 next door. That gap matters over years of ownership, but it is not the whole picture. A building that has been funding its reserve properly, or has already completed major work, can justify a higher fee.

Ask for the status certificates and reserve fund studies for each tower you are considering, then read them side by side. Look at the balance in the reserve, the planned projects for the next five years and any history of special assessments. The tower with the clearer plan is usually the safer buy.

Space you cannot buy new any more

Suites run from roughly 1,005 to 1,455 square feet. Even the smallest plan here is bigger than most new two-bedroom condos in Toronto, and the larger ones give you a dining room that seats a family and bedrooms with space around the bed.

The plans are of their time: a foyer, closed kitchens, separate dining areas and generous closets. Condition varies widely from suite to suite, so a renovated unit and an original one can be very different propositions at similar sizes.

What the fee actually covers

The three active listings carry fees of about $1,130 to $1,410 a month. That includes heat, hydro, air conditioning, water, building insurance, parking and cable TV, plus common elements.

Spread over suites of about 1,000 to 1,450 square feet, that works out in the region of a dollar a square foot, with no separate hydro or heating bill. In a newer building you would pay less in fees but add those bills back yourself.

Because the corporation buys power and gas for everyone, energy price changes show up in the budget. Ask for the last few years of budgets and see how the utility lines have moved.

Parking is part of the fee here, which is a quiet advantage in an older building. You are not paying a separate monthly charge for the space, and the cost of maintaining the garage is already built into the budget you are reviewing.

What you do need to confirm is exactly what comes with the suite you are buying: how many spaces, whether they are owned units or exclusive-use common elements, where they sit in the garage, and whether a locker is included. Those details sit in the status certificate and the declaration, and I check them on every offer.

Older garages are also where the big repair bills tend to hide. Concrete and waterproofing work is expensive and disruptive, so look in the reserve fund study for when the garage was last restored and what is planned next. If the answer is vague, ask the manager before you firm up.

Living at Steeles and Bathurst

Primrose Towers sits on the south side of Steeles Avenue West, a short way west of Bathurst. Steeles is the city limit, so the other side of the road is Vaughan, and you can live in Toronto while shopping in either municipality.

The Bathurst and Steeles corner is already lined with mid- and high-rise apartment buildings, and more is coming. In June 2026 UrbanToronto reported a proposal for two rental towers of 39 and 43 storeys, about 1,000 units, at 6200 Bathurst Street just south of Steeles. Expect more density and more construction nearby over the next decade.

This is a car-friendly location with bus service on both Steeles and Bathurst. The automatic panel on this page covers the nearest transit, schools, parks and food.

Price per square foot, and what is listed now

The building average is about $396 per square foot, slightly above its sister tower at 1121 and still far below what new North York condos ask. That gap is the entire value case.

The three suites currently for sale are asking between $579,999 and $639,000, with fees of roughly $1,130 to $1,410 a month across those listings. There are also two suites listed for rent.

Keep property tax in mind as a separate monthly cost. It is not in the fee, and on a suite of this size it adds up. Ask for the current tax bill along with the status certificate.

Asking prices only tell you what sellers hope for. Use the 12-month sales data on this page, and compare with Primrose II and III, before you decide what to offer.

Building specifications

Amenities at Primrose Towers I

An outdoor pool, a tennis court, a gym, sauna and games room is a full recreation set for a building this size. It is the kind of package new towers rarely include, and also the kind that needs a well-funded reserve to keep running.

Jatin’s honest take on Primrose Towers I

Primrose Towers I — 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.