South Kingsway Village II, 22 Southport St: The Village’s Biggest Suites

South Kingsway Village II is where I send people who are selling a house in Swansea, Bloor West or The Kingsway and refuse to live in 700 square feet. Most of its suites are two-bedroom-plus-den plans, the biggest run close to 1,800 square feet, and they come with parking and nearly every utility in the fee. They also sell quickly, which tells you how rare that combination is in the west end. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The family-sized building of the three

Each phase of South Kingsway Village has a different personality, and Village II’s is size. Strata.ca puts its mix at about 58% two-bedroom-plus-dens and 30% one-plus-dens, with only a few plain one- and two-bedrooms. There is almost nothing small here, and current listings start in the 900 sq ft range.

Sources disagree on the top end. Condos.ca gives a range of about 788 to 1,796 sq ft and strata.ca gives 751 to 1,523 sq ft. The difference probably comes from a handful of very large suites that one source counts and the other does not, but if you are shopping at the top of the range, confirm the size from the floor plan or the declaration rather than a listing.

Condos.ca describes open kitchen and living areas, large greenhouse-style windows in the main rooms and either a sunroom or a terrace in many suites. For a downsizer, the den and sunroom matter as much as the bedrooms: they are where the home office, the guest bed or the piano goes.

Why these suites sell quickly

Strata.ca’s figures over the last twelve months show 11 sales and 4 leases, with suites typically selling within about ten days and closing slightly above asking, and a medium chance of competing offers. For a 37-year-old building with fees above $1,000 a month on every current listing, that is strong demand.

The reason is supply. A 1,200 to 1,500 sq ft condo with separate rooms, parking, a pool and a gated setting is hard to find anywhere between High Park and the Humber, and newer buildings in this area rarely build suites that large. When one of these comes up at a fair price, the buyers who have been waiting move fast.

In practice that means you should have financing approved and the status certificate review lined up before you start viewing seriously. Buyers who need two weekends to decide tend to lose the good ones here.

Renovated or original: the biggest price swing here

In a building completed in 1989, the condition of the suite explains more of the price gap between two listings than floor or exposure does. Strata.ca’s two-plus-den sales over the past year span roughly $631,000 to $889,500, and much of that spread is renovation, not square footage.

If you are looking at an original suite, price the work honestly. A large suite has a lot of flooring, a kitchen, one or two bathrooms and often a sunroom, and in a condo every job takes longer because of building rules on contractors, elevators and noise. Many renovations also need board approval, particularly anything touching plumbing, walls or windows.

The upside is that an original suite in a building like this is where the value is. Buyers who are prepared to renovate can end up with a 1,300 sq ft home finished to their own taste for less than a much smaller new suite, and with a layout no new tower on this corridor offers.

The tallest building behind the gate

At eleven storeys, Village II is the only phase that is properly mid-rise, against seven storeys at Village I and eight at Village III. Upper floors get more light and a longer outlook than anything in the other two buildings, while still sitting inside a landscaped, gated site rather than on a busy street.

With 166 suites it is also the largest of the three corporations. The pool, squash and basketball courts, gardens and gatehouse are shared across the complex, so it is worth understanding how costs are divided between the corporations and how decisions about shared facilities are made.

The surroundings are the same quiet pocket the whole village enjoys: the lake trail and South Humber Park within walking distance, Bloor West Village and The Queensway for shopping, and a few minutes’ drive to the Gardiner. Up the street, State Building Group has proposed two towers of 26 and 29 storeys at 34 Southport, listed as pre-construction when I checked. Taller suites here could see that project from their windows if it proceeds.

Pricing: the lowest per-foot figure in the village

Because the suites are large, Village II trades for less per square foot than its siblings. Condos.ca shows an average of about $607 per square foot. Strata.ca’s twelve-month average is about $685, with two-plus-dens averaging about $695 and one-plus-dens about $718. Either way you are buying a large suite for a fraction of what a new two-bedroom costs per foot in the west end.

At the time of writing there were three suites for sale and none for lease, asking between $580,000 and $849,900.

Fees on those three listings ran from $1,025 to $1,630 a month, averaging about $1.17 per square foot; strata.ca’s building-wide figure is lower, at about $0.94. Those are big numbers, but they cover hydro, heat, air conditioning, water, cable and parking. Run the full monthly comparison against a newer building before you decide the fee is too high.

Building specifications

Amenities at South Kingsway Village II

The shared indoor pool, squash and basketball courts are the kind of facilities a single 166-suite building would struggle to fund on its own. Bike storage is a small but practical plus here, given how close the lake trail is.

Jatin’s honest take on South Kingsway Village II

South Kingsway Village II — frequently asked questions

Looking at High Park-Swansea more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.