Riverhouse at the Old Mill, 30 Old Mill Rd: Humber River Views, Pool

Riverhouse at the Old Mill is the building I show people who are selling a large house in the Kingsway or Baby Point and refuse to give up a view of trees. The Humber River wraps around the site, the Old Mill Inn is next door, and the suites were laid out for people with dining tables and art. It is priced like it knows all of that. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A building that replaced the Old Mill’s parking lot

Riverhouse was built on what was a parking lot for the Old Mill Inn and Spa, on the Etobicoke side of the Humber, just off Old Mill Road. The Globe and Mail’s launch coverage noted that the river wraps around the site, and Lanterra said at the time that almost every suite, including those facing south, would get a river view.

Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects designed the exterior and Studio Munge, then Munge Leung, did the interiors. The lobby was planned with wood finishes and stone floors, and there is a room set aside overlooking the river. It is an 11-storey building, so it reads as a large house among the trees rather than a tower.

The location is the main reason people buy here. You are on the Humber valley trail system, next to a historic inn, and a short walk up the hill to Bloor Street and the Kingsway shops.

Classic layouts with formal rooms

Most new Toronto condos put the kitchen, dining and living room in one long room. Riverhouse mostly did not. The launch materials described classic plans with separate formal rooms and large entry foyers, with only a few open-kitchen layouts. That suits buyers moving from a house who want their furniture to fit.

At launch, suites were marketed from about 868 to 2,125 square feet, and buyers could combine units. Condos.ca now shows a range of roughly 674 to 3,949 square feet, which suggests some combined suites at the top and some smaller plans added during sales.

Ceilings were marketed at nine feet, with the top two floors a foot higher. The specification list included coffered foyers, engineered hardwood, granite counters, Miele appliances and marble ensuite bathrooms with soaker tubs. Larger suites came with a gas fireplace and a locker as a launch incentive, so do not assume every unit has them.

Underground parking is in a garage, and there is visitor parking for guests. Confirm how many parking spaces and lockers are deeded to the suite you are looking at, because the launch package varied by suite size.

The daily reality of living in the valley

The setting is quieter than almost anywhere else this close to Bloor Street. Your nearest neighbours are the Old Mill Inn, the river and the parkland that follows it, and the Old Mill Tennis Club is close by. Walking, cycling and running on the Humber trails start at the door.

For errands, you go up the hill. The Kingsway village shops along Bloor are to the west, and Bloor West Village is across the river to the east. Neither is far, but the walk back down and up again is a real consideration for anyone with mobility concerns, and in winter it is worth trying before you buy.

The other thing to understand is that you are buying into a small building of roughly 100 households rather than a busy tower. Small luxury buildings like this one see fewer resales, so you get less choice when you buy and a slower market when you eventually sell. Plan to hold for years, not months, and read the board minutes to get a sense of how the building is run before you commit.

The suite count question

Sources do not agree on how many suites are in the building. UrbanToronto lists 84, the Globe described more than 80 at launch, and condos.ca lists 101. Combined and reconfigured suites probably explain part of the gap, but I would not guess.

It matters because the number of owners sharing the costs affects what each pays. Get the exact suite count and the unit factors from the status certificate before you compare this building’s fees with anything else.

Among the highest prices per square foot in Etobicoke

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $1,313 per square foot, one of the highest figures in Etobicoke and higher than 4 The Kingsway’s roughly $1,091. You are paying for the river setting and the size of the suites, and it shows.

The fee includes common elements, heat, air conditioning and building insurance, according to condos.ca. Water is not on that list, so confirm how it is billed. At launch, the Globe reported projected fees of about 56 cents per square foot; fees in a building with an indoor pool and a concierge usually rise from launch estimates, so check the current budget rather than relying on that figure.

There was one active listing when I checked, which is not enough to quote a range. Resale supply here is thin, so expect to wait for the right floor plan and view.

Building specifications

Amenities at Riverhouse at the Old Mill

The launch plan included an indoor pool with an outdoor terrace, a hot tub, a steam room, a gym, a party room with a caterer’s kitchen and a library with a fireplace. For a building of about 100 suites, that is a generous package, and it is the main thing that separates Riverhouse from the smaller buildings around it. Ask which of these are still operating as originally planned, since amenity use can change over time.

Jatin’s honest take on Riverhouse at the Old Mill

Riverhouse at the Old Mill — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.