Sterling Club II, 330 McCowan Rd: Pool, Squash and All-In Fees

Sterling Club II is the building I point to when a Scarborough buyer wants a pool, a squash court and one predictable monthly bill. It is a 1991 tower near Eglinton and McCowan, younger than most of the condo stock around it, and its fee covers heat, hydro, air conditioning and parking. The questions here are about age and fees, not about what you get. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A 1991 tower in a 1970s neighbourhood

Most of the condo towers around Eglinton Avenue East went up in the 1970s. Sterling Club II registered in late 1991, so it is roughly 15 years younger than many of its neighbours, and that shows up in the amenity list and the suite plans. It is still a 35-year-old building, though, and you should treat it like one.

The developer was Reemark Sterling II Limited, a project company tied to the Reemark name. The Roman numeral suggests an earlier Sterling Club phase, but I could not confirm which building that was, so I won’t name one. What matters more now is how the corporation has run the building since 1991, which the status certificate and board minutes will show.

At 299 suites, this is a large corporation. That spreads the cost of big repairs across many owners, which helps, and it also means more listings to compare against each other when you are pricing a suite.

Indoor pool, squash and a security guard

The amenity package is the reason most people shortlist this building. Condos.ca lists an indoor pool, a sauna, a squash court, a security guard and a security system, along with an underground garage and visitor parking. A squash court is rare in Scarborough condos, and an indoor pool means year-round swimming rather than a July and August deck.

Those features cost money to run. Pools need mechanical upkeep, regular inspections and eventual replacement of equipment, and a staffed security desk is an ongoing payroll line. They are a large part of what your fee pays for, so make sure you will actually use them.

Condos.ca also flags a pet restriction. I have not seen the exact rule, so read the declaration and rules in the status certificate before you bring an animal.

Suites from about 560 to 1,190 square feet

Suites recorded on condos.ca run from roughly 564 to 1,192 square feet, so the range covers compact one-bedrooms through two-bedrooms with a den. That is a wider spread than the 1970s towers nearby, which tend to be built almost entirely of large two- and three-bedroom suites.

Two-bedroom-plus-den plans of around 900 to 1,000 square feet appear regularly on the market here. For a buyer coming from a downtown condo, that is a lot of room for the money. For a family, check the bedroom sizes and the den carefully, because a den in a 1991 plan is often a small open nook rather than a room with a door.

Expect finishes to vary widely from suite to suite. Some owners have renovated kitchens and baths, others have the original 1991 cabinetry, and that difference should be reflected in price.

Living near Eglinton and McCowan

The building sits on McCowan Road near Eglinton Avenue East, in a pocket of older towers, low-rise houses and strip retail. Day to day, this is a car-friendly location with bus service on both main roads. The panel on this page shows the transit routes, schools and food options around the address.

The bigger change is the City’s planned Eglinton East light rail line, now described as the Scarborough East Rapid Transit project, which would run 18.6 km from Kennedy Station to Malvern Town Centre along Eglinton Avenue East, with the McCowan intersection on the route. It is a plan, not a construction site, and no opening date has been published, so I would not pay a premium for it today.

The Line 2 subway extension is also being built to the north, with new stations planned at Lawrence and McCowan, Scarborough Centre and Sheppard and McCowan. For an owner here, that is a reason for some optimism about long-term access, not a reason to buy on its own.

If you are comparing buildings in this pocket, 15 Torrance, a short distance away near Eglinton and Bellamy, is the obvious alternative. It is a 1977 tower of 195 suites with an outdoor pool rather than an indoor one, and its fee also covers heat and hydro. Sterling Club II is about 14 years younger and has the squash court and security guard, so the choice usually comes down to age, amenities and the specific suite.

Price per square foot and what the fee really costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $502 per square foot. That is low by Toronto standards and in line with other older Scarborough towers, and it reflects the building’s age as much as the location.

There were two suites for sale when I checked, asking between $499,900 and $499,999. Their maintenance fees were about $830 to $831 a month, which works out to roughly $0.87 per square foot.

That fee looks high next to a new condo at $0.60, but the comparison is not fair. Here it covers heat, hydro, air conditioning, water and parking. Add back a monthly hydro bill, heat and a parking space at a newer building and much of the gap disappears. For a fair picture of what has actually traded, use my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Sterling Club II

This is a proper recreation package for an early-1990s building: you can swim, play squash and use the sauna without leaving home, and a security guard adds a layer most older Scarborough towers have cut. You pay for all of it in the fee, so it suits people who will use it.

Jatin’s honest take on Sterling Club II

Sterling Club II — frequently asked questions

Looking at Scarborough Bluffs, West Hill, Guildwood, Woburn, Malvern and Rouge more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.