The Dunvegan, 235 St Clair Ave W: A 1970 Low-Rise With Utilities In

The Dunvegan is the kind of building people walk past on St. Clair West without noticing, and that is part of its appeal. It is five storeys and 45 suites, registered in 1970, with hydro, heat, cooling and even cable in the fee and a recently refreshed lobby. It is also more than fifty years old, and that is where any honest conversation about it has to start. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One of Toronto’s earliest condominiums

The corporation number tells the story. The YCC prefix belongs to the old York County series that came before the Metropolitan Toronto (MTCC) numbering, and number 20 puts this building among the very first condominiums registered in the city, in 1970, only a few years after Ontario’s first condominium legislation. Very few Toronto buildings have been run as condominiums for longer.

That history cuts both ways. On one hand, you can see decades of records on how the building has been managed, and a building this old should already have been through several cycles of major repairs. On the other, every original system has either been replaced already or is overdue, and you need to know which.

A recent listing described the lobby and elevators as recently updated. That is a good sign of an active board, and it is exactly the kind of thing to confirm in the reserve fund study and the minutes.

Small building, wide range of suites

Forty-five suites over five storeys makes this a true low-density building, with only about nine suites a floor. Suites range from about 605 sq ft to about 2,250 sq ft, so the building holds compact one-bedrooms alongside suites as large as a small house.

Plans from this era tend to be generous on room sizes and storage and modest on ceiling height and window size compared with new construction. You often get a proper dining area and a real hallway, and you give up the floor-to-ceiling glass most buyers now expect. Walk the suite at different times of day to judge the light.

One listing mentioned a laundry room in the building. In older condominiums not every suite has in-suite laundry, so ask specifically whether the suite you are considering has its own washer and dryer, and if not, whether adding one is permitted.

The size range also shapes who your neighbours are. A building that mixes 600-square-foot suites with 2,000-square-foot ones tends to have both first-time owners and long-time downsizers, and in a building this small, that mix shows up at every annual meeting. It is worth asking the manager roughly how many suites are owner-occupied before you buy.

A fee that covers almost everything

The fee includes heat, hydro, air conditioning, cable TV, water, building insurance and common elements. That is about as complete a list as you will find in Toronto, and it means your monthly cost of living here is close to a single number.

Parking is not listed among the fee inclusions, although the building has parking and visitor spaces and some listings include a space. Confirm whether parking is owned, rented from the corporation or not available with the suite you want, because on this stretch of St. Clair it affects value.

Bulk utilities in an older building also mean the corporation carries the cost of older windows and heating equipment for everyone. Ask how utility costs have trended in the budget and whether any energy retrofits are planned or completed.

The St. Clair West setting

The building sits on the stretch of St. Clair between Avenue Road and Spadina, with the streetcar at the door and two subway stations within reach. Sir Winston Churchill Park and the ravine are a short walk west, and Forest Hill Village and the Yonge and St. Clair shops are both within walking distance.

This stretch is changing. A block or so east, Fitzrovia Real Estate has proposed a 49-storey, 631-unit rental tower at 135 St. Clair West to replace a 1964 provincial office building. It was a proposal, not an approval, when reported in late 2024, so check the current status, but a project of that scale would bring years of construction to the street.

Transit times, schools and Walk Score are in the data panel on this page. The practical point is that you can live here without a car, which matters if the suite you want does not come with parking.

Pricing and fees at 235 St. Clair West

I don’t have a reliable building-wide price per square foot for The Dunvegan, and with 45 suites and few sales a year, any average would be thin. Nearby benchmarks give context: The Code at 6 Parkwood averages about $968 per square foot as a 2017 building, and The Westclair at 47 St. Clair West about $922 for a 1988 building. I would expect a 1970 building to trade below both, with renovated suites closing the gap.

There were no suites listed for sale or lease when I checked. When one does come up, judge the price on three things: the suite’s condition, whether parking comes with it, and the health of the reserve fund.

Because the fee includes hydro and cable, compare it per square foot with a newer building’s fee plus that building’s hydro, heating, cooling and internet bills. If you want the recorded resale history, ask me for the building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Dunvegan

There is no concierge listed, so this is a quieter, lower-cost kind of building: a gym, a sauna, bike storage and a place to barbecue. Buyers who want a staffed lobby should look at The Westclair or The Code nearby.

Jatin’s honest take on The Dunvegan

The Dunvegan — frequently asked questions

Looking at Yorkville, the Annex and Midtown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.