Skymark Two, 1555 Finch Ave E: House-Sized Suites at Don Mills

Skymark Two is where buyers end up when they want the space of a house and the services of a full-security building. This 1979 tower at Don Mills and Finch has suites running past 3,000 square feet, indoor and outdoor pools, and a fee that covers most utilities except hydro. You pay for that in the monthly number, and I will be direct about whether it is worth it. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Part of a 1970s tower cluster at Don Mills and Finch

Skymark Two is one of a group of large condominium towers around Don Mills Road and Finch Avenue East. Skymark I stands at 3303 Don Mills Road, and High Point at 3300 Don Mills sits a short walk away. Don Valley Village grew mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, and these towers are the high-rise end of that suburban build-out.

The builder is worth a note. Condos.ca lists Neighbourhood Development as the builder of Skymark Two, while the condos.ca overview for High Point next door credits Tridel. I could not confirm from Tridel’s own published history which of these towers it built, so I will not claim it. If the builder matters to you, ask the property manager for the original declaration and disclosure.

Daily life here is suburban in the good sense. Seneca’s Newnham campus is in the same neighbourhood, North York General Hospital has been part of the area since 1968, and Fairview Mall, one of the city’s major shopping centres, is a short drive south at Don Mills and Sheppard. Highways 401 and 404 are close, which is why so many owners here drive.

Change is coming to that mall. Cadillac Fairview and Shape Properties have applied to build the first phase of a seven-building masterplan on the Fairview lands, currently a single 48-storey rental tower. It is still in the approvals process, but it signals where density in this part of North York is heading.

What these towers share is a full-service model: a security guard, recreation space on site and large suites. It is a different product from the new towers on Yonge, and it is priced differently.

Suites the size of a house

Condos.ca lists suites from about 883 to 3,059 sq ft. The bottom of that range is a generous one-bedroom-plus-den; the top is larger than many detached houses in Don Valley Village. Most suites have two bedrooms or more, often with a den.

That size spread is the main reason to look here. Downsizers who refuse to give up a dining room, families who want three bedrooms on one level, and buyers who work from home all find room here that the new market does not offer at any reasonable price.

Older large suites also come with older layouts. Expect separate dining rooms, closed kitchens in unrenovated suites and long hallways. Some owners have opened kitchens and redone bathrooms, others have not, so compare renovated and original suites separately when you think about price.

Two pools and a security guard

Condos.ca lists both an indoor and an outdoor pool, a party room, a meeting room, a recreation room, a security system and a security guard. Two pools is unusual even among 1970s buildings, and a staffed security presence is a big part of why long-term owners stay.

The cost of that package is in the fee. Pools, staffing and a large common area are expensive to run and maintain, and in a 254-suite building the cost is spread over fewer owners than in a new 500-suite tower.

Ask how the amenities are actually used. In older buildings with many long-term owners, the recreation room and pools often carry more of the social life than they do in a new tower, and that community is part of what you are buying.

Condos.ca also flags a pet restriction. I could not confirm what it is, so read the declaration and the rules in the status certificate before you buy if you have a pet.

The fee, honestly

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, air conditioning, cable TV, building insurance, parking and water in the fee. Hydro is not listed, so budget for your own electricity. Across the three current listings, monthly fees ranged from $885 to $1,612.

Those are big numbers, and on a large suite they are the main carrying cost after the mortgage. The way to judge them is to compare the full monthly cost, fee plus mortgage plus property tax, against a townhouse or a smaller new condo nearby, where you would pay for heat, cooling and parking yourself.

Ask what the fee trend has been for the last five years. In older buildings with bulk utilities, steady increases are normal; a sudden jump usually means a reserve fund catching up.

What Skymark Two costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $466 per square foot. That is well under half of what new towers on Yonge ask, and it reflects the age, the fees and a location well east of the Yonge corridor.

When I checked, three suites were for sale and none for lease. Asking prices ran from $459,000 to $849,900. Because suites are so large, the total prices look modest next to a detached house in the area, and that comparison is the one most buyers here are actually making.

For what suites have sold for, use the market data on this page or ask me for the building sold report. In a building with few listings, recent sold comparables are the only reliable guide.

Building specifications

Amenities at Skymark Two

Having both an indoor and an outdoor pool means you can swim year-round without a membership, and the security guard is what many owners value most. The party and recreation rooms make it workable to host family events that would not fit in most condos.

Jatin’s honest take on Skymark Two

Skymark Two — 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.