Pulse Condos, 5500 Yonge St: Pemberton’s South Tower at Yonge and Finch

Pulse is the building I bring up when a buyer wants a straightforward, well-located tower near Yonge and Finch without paying a newer-building premium. It is the south tower of a two-tower Pemberton project, 26 storeys and 250 suites, designed by Burka Varacalli and registered in 2009. It is plain, and for many buyers that is fine. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One half of a two-tower project

Pulse was built as a pair. A 2008 construction report described one 26-storey tower and one 27-storey tower with about 510 suites between them, three levels of underground parking, and Saddlebrook Construction as general contractor for The Pemberton Group. This is the 26-storey south tower at 5500 Yonge, and Pulse II at 5508 is the taller north tower.

The two towers registered as separate corporations six months apart: TSCC-2002 here in March 2009, and TSCC-2029 for Pulse II in September 2009. With a shared garage and shared amenities, there is almost certainly a shared facilities agreement between them. Ask for it, because it decides how costs are split when a shared item needs repair.

The design by Burka Varacalli Architects is restrained. Forum commenters during construction called it too blank, while others felt the podium worked well along Yonge. You are buying function here, not architecture, and that is reflected in the price.

Seventeen years in, a building’s real track record is visible, and that is an advantage over buying new. Ask for the last few years of board minutes along with the status certificate, and look for how the board handled routine repairs, fee increases and any work shared with the other tower.

Compact suites, built for one or two people

Condos.ca puts suite sizes here at about 530 to 950 sq ft, a narrower range than Pulse II next door, which reaches about 1,520 sq ft. Forum discussion from the sales period describes most suites as roughly 500 to 650 sq ft, with corner suites around 800 and two-bedrooms as the largest plans.

That makes this a one-bedroom and small two-bedroom building. It suits singles, couples and investors. If you need a real family-sized suite, the larger plans at Pulse II are worth comparing first.

I could not find published ceiling heights. Ask for the floor plan and measure during your viewing, particularly if you are comparing with a newer tower where nine-foot ceilings are common.

Ask about parking and lockers for the specific suite. Parking is listed in the fee, but it helps only if a space is actually deeded or assigned to your suite, and in a building of mostly small units some were likely sold without one.

What the fee covers

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, parking and water as fee inclusions. Heat is not listed, and neither is air conditioning, although condos.ca does list air conditioning in Pulse II’s inclusions. That difference between twin towers is odd enough that I would confirm it on the status certificate rather than trust either listing.

Across current listings, the fee works out to about $0.77 per square foot, which is moderate for a building of this age on the Yonge corridor. Parking is in the fee, which helps when you compare it with newer towers that charge for parking separately.

Condos.ca also flags pet restrictions. I have not seen the rules, so read the declaration and rules in the status certificate if you have a pet.

If the fee does not cover heat or cooling, ask the seller for a year of utility bills. Older towers of this era can have heating and cooling systems that are cheap to run in one suite and noticeably more expensive in a corner unit with more glass.

Living near Yonge and Finch

The location is why Pulse rents and resells well. Forum commenters at the time pointed to transit at Yonge and Finch as the reason the suites would appeal to renters, and the panel on this page has the details. Shops and restaurants line Yonge in both directions.

Yonge and Finch is busy. There is heavy bus and car traffic, a lot of pedestrian activity and constant turnover in the shops along Yonge. Some buyers love that energy; others find it tiring, so walk the area on a weekday evening before you decide.

The area north of here is set to change with Metrolinx’s Yonge North Subway Extension, planned to run north from Finch, and new tower applications continue along Yonge. Check the City of Toronto development applications map before you buy, especially if your view faces an open lot.

What Pulse costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $746 per square foot, almost identical to Pulse II next door at about $751. That tells you the market treats the two towers as one product, so use sales in both when you are judging a price.

When I checked, three suites were for sale and one was for lease. Asking prices ran from $409,800 to $825,000. That is a wide spread for similar suites, and it tells you sellers are testing the market at the top end.

With only a few suites listed at once, the building average is a better guide than any single ask. Compare a suite with others of the same size band and exposure in both towers, and adjust for whether parking and a locker come with it.

Asking prices are not sale prices. For what has actually traded, use the market data on this page or ask me for the building sold report, which I can run for both Pulse towers together.

Building specifications

Amenities at Pulse Condos

Condos.ca lists a concierge, guest suites, meeting and party rooms. The 2008 construction report also described fitness and billiards rooms and a virtual golf room for the project, so ask which tower holds them and whether they are still running.

Jatin’s honest take on Pulse Condos

Pulse Condos — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.