Scala Condos, 25 Adra Grado Way: Tridel’s Terraced Building by the Don

Scala does not look like the towers along Sheppard, and that was deliberate. Tridel and Wallman Architects built it as a terraced, pyramid-shaped building that steps down toward the Don River ravine, wrapped around a courtyard. If you want ravine views and a pool in a building that is only a few years old, it belongs on your list. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A terraced building instead of a point tower

Most condos in this part of North York follow the standard Toronto formula: a podium with a point tower on top. Scala is different. Wallman Architects designed two terraced blocks with mid-rise arms that converge, giving the building a stepped, pyramid-like profile. The south arm rises to 18 storeys and steps down toward the ravine, while a lower arm along Leslie Street runs from five to 11 storeys.

UrbanToronto measured the finished height at almost 62 metres. The cladding is precast concrete panels with window wall, which matches the low- and mid-rise buildings that were built at the same time to the north. Together, the buildings turn the corners of the site and nearly enclose a central courtyard.

The terraced form changes what you are buying. Where the building steps back, the floor below becomes outdoor space for the suites above, so a stepped building of this kind offers terrace suites that a straight tower cannot. It also means more roof and terrace membrane for the corporation to maintain over time, which is a cost every owner shares.

Built on a Toronto Community Housing redevelopment

Scala sits on a 6.5-acre site beside the Don River that was previously home to 121 Toronto Community Housing rental townhouses on Adra, Grado and Tomar Villaways. TCHC and Tridel’s Deltera first proposed the redevelopment in 2011, and the plan that went ahead replaced that housing with new rental townhomes and a rental apartment building on the north side of the site, alongside the condominium.

That history explains the street names and the layout. Scala is one piece of a small master-planned community: the condo, new rental townhomes and an apartment building, with stairs and ramps linking Villaways Park to the central courtyard. For buyers, it means mixed-income neighbours and a shared landscape rather than a stand-alone tower on an arterial road.

It also means the address is not Bayview Village in the way most buyers picture it. Scala is closer to Leslie and Sheppard than to Bayview Avenue, which is worth knowing when you compare it with buildings next to Bayview Village Shopping Centre.

Suite variety, from courtyard suites to terraces

Tridel marketed a wide range of suite configurations: townhouse-inspired courtyard suites at the base and terrace suites at the top, with conventional one- and two-bedroom plans in between. Condos.ca records sizes from about 438 square feet up to nearly 2,000.

Current listings are concentrated in larger plans, with most between 700 and 1,000 square feet and several bigger suites with dens. That is a different mix from the small-suite investor buildings nearby, and it makes Scala a more natural fit for couples, small families and downsizers than for someone looking for the cheapest one-bedroom on the line.

Which side of the building you face matters more here than in most towers. Suites looking south and toward the ravine get the green outlook the building was designed around, while those facing Leslie Street see traffic and the neighbouring buildings. Check the exposure on the floor plan before you book a showing.

A long build, and what to read now that it is done

The project took longer than the original plan. When UrbanToronto covered the launch in 2016, completion was planned for 2019. Construction was underway by late 2018, forming was nearing the top floors in mid-2021, and the corporation registered in September 2022. Long timelines are common on large Toronto sites, and that is not a criticism of the building, but it means the first owners moved in later than they expected.

Now that it is complete, the documents that matter are the ones that show how the building is running. A corporation registered in 2022 is likely past its one- and two-year Tarion warranty windows for the common elements, with only longer-term major structural coverage left, so ask what issues were reported during those windows and how they were resolved. The first reserve fund study and the first few years of board minutes will tell you more than any brochure.

What Scala is asking, and what the fees cover

When I checked, seven suites were listed for sale and seven for lease. The sale listings asked from $599,000 to $1,490,000. The condos.ca building average sits around $893 per square foot, which is roughly what you pay for newer towers on the Sheppard corridor, so on these numbers the ravine setting and Tridel name are not coming at a large premium.

Monthly fees on those listings ranged from $646 to $1,585, averaging about $0.85 per square foot. For a building with a pool, a spa and a concierge, that is a reasonable rate, though the larger suites carry fees well over $1,000 a month in absolute terms. Fee inclusions are not published, so confirm what is covered and how utilities are metered on the status certificate.

Larger suites trade less often, so asking prices are a weak guide at the top end. The 12-month figures in the data panel are a better starting point, and for a specific suite I would pull recent sales of the same size and exposure. You can book a call and I will walk you through them.

Building specifications

Amenities at Scala Condos

A pool, sauna and spa put Scala in a smaller group of newer North York buildings that kept wet amenities. Combined with the courtyard and the ravine setting, the package suits people who want to exercise and unwind without leaving home.

Jatin’s honest take on Scala Condos

Scala 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.