The Bennett on Bayview, 3237 Bayview Ave: Boutique Mid-Rise North of Finch

The Bennett on Bayview is the kind of building I suggest to buyers who want a newer condo on Bayview but do not want a 40-storey tower or a Yonge Street price. It is a mid-rise of about 165 suites north of Finch, built on the site of a former gas station, with a design that actually faces the street. The price per square foot is low for its age, and the fee is high, and both of those facts deserve a closer look. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A mid-rise that faces Bayview

The site was a gas station on the east side of Bayview Avenue, just north of Finch, beside the Bayview-Cummer shopping plaza. UrbanToronto’s 2016 coverage introduced the project as a partnership of First Avenue Properties and Latch Developments, with RAW Design as architect and a little over 500 square metres of retail planned at grade.

What I like about the design is the way it meets the street. UrbanToronto pointed out in 2019 that many neighbouring buildings turn away from Bayview, while The Bennett sits right on the sidewalk. The exterior is a window wall with dark tinted spandrel glass and aluminium mullions, and the upper floors step back, which is where the larger terraces are.

The sales material credits Johnson Chou with the interior design. Marketing credits are a starting point, not a guarantee, so judge the lobby, corridors and amenity rooms in person. Six years of daily use shows quickly in a small building’s common areas, and their condition tells you a lot about how the board maintains the place.

Twelve storeys or fourteen? And how many suites?

The published numbers do not agree. UrbanToronto’s 2016 renderings article and condos.ca both describe 14 storeys. UrbanToronto’s 2019 construction update said the building was reduced to 12 storeys during the approvals process and reported it reaching its final 12-storey height.

The suite count varies too: 165 in the 2016 coverage and on condos.ca, about 167 in the 2019 update, and 160 in the developer’s marketing. These differences are small, but they tell you the plan changed along the way. If the floor count matters, for example because you want a top-floor terrace suite, check the registered declaration.

Either way, this is a small building by North York standards. A smaller population means quieter elevators and lobbies, and a board that can know the owners. It also means fewer owners to share the cost of big repairs.

Suites, terraces and shared space

Condos.ca gives a suite range of about 512 to 1,137 square feet, while the developer’s marketing described suites from about 500 to 1,800 square feet. The larger figure probably includes a small number of top-floor plans. Most resale activity is in one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms.

The 2016 renderings coverage described balconies or terraces for each suite, with bigger terraces on the upper floors where the building steps back. It also described a second-floor indoor amenity space of about 230 square metres with a party room, opening onto a common terrace of about 330 square metres.

I could not find published ceiling heights. The developer’s marketing mentions underground parking; confirm in the status certificate whether the suite you want has a deeded space and a locker.

Daily life north of Finch on Bayview

This is a car-friendly location. The marketing points to easy access to four major highways, and UrbanToronto described the site as a short drive or bus ride north of Bayview Village and Bayview station on Line 4. The data panel on this page has the transit options.

The Bayview-Cummer plaza next door covers daily errands, and the shops at grade in the building add a little more. Beyond the plazas, the side streets east and west of Bayview are residential, which suits people who want quiet streets more than nightlife.

Do not expect a walkable main street at your door. Most owners here drive, and the appeal is a calm, established neighbourhood with a newer building in it.

If you commute downtown every day, be honest with yourself about the trip. A bus to the subway adds time in both directions, and that is the real price of the discount you get here. For someone who works from home, works in the suburbs or drives anyway, it matters far less, and the savings per square foot go straight into a bigger suite.

Low price per foot, high fee per foot

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $653 per square foot. That is below most newer buildings closer to Yonge and Sheppard, and it is low for a building completed in 2020. Location north of Finch, away from the subway, explains much of the discount.

Two suites were listed for sale when I checked, asking between $509,900 and $510,000. Their maintenance fees ranged from about $782 to $929 a month, and the active listings averaged roughly $1.01 per square foot.

That fee is high for a 2020 building. It does include heat, air conditioning and water, which many newer buildings meter separately, and small buildings carry more fixed cost per suite. Even so, a $1 per square foot fee eats into the price advantage, so compare total monthly cost, not price alone.

With only a couple of suites for sale at a time, there are few comparables inside the building. Expect pricing to lean on sales from older Bayview and Finch buildings, and be ready to justify a premium for the newer construction and the included utilities.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Bennett on Bayview

This is a modest amenity package suited to a small building: a gym, a party room with a shared terrace, and guest suites for visitors. Guest suites are uncommon in buildings this size and are genuinely useful for families with relatives who visit.

Jatin’s honest take on The Bennett on Bayview

The Bennett on Bayview — 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.