Consilium II, 68 Corporate Dr: Tridel’s 33 Storeys by the Town Centre

The Residences at the Consilium II is the building I point to when a buyer wants a big, well-run tower next to Scarborough Town Centre at an older-building price. It is a 1997 Tridel tower at 68 Corporate Drive with 521 suites, two pools and a fee that covers hydro and heat. The questions are parking, age and how much the area around it is about to change. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A Tridel tower beside an office park

Consilium II takes its name from Consilium Place, the office complex next door. Those three office towers, built between 1984 and 1989 and designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, were part of the push to make Scarborough City Centre a real downtown for the east end. The residential towers on Corporate Drive followed in the 1990s.

This is the second residential phase. Its sibling, The Residences at the Consilium I, stands at 88 Corporate Drive. Both carry the Tridel name, which still means something to buyers in this city, and one listing source credits the architecture of this tower to Peter F. Turner, Architect. I have not seen that confirmed elsewhere, so treat it as a lead rather than a settled fact.

At 33 storeys and about 102 metres, it is one of the tallest buildings in Woburn. A tower this size has a large operating budget, which pays for staff and amenities, but it also means a large reserve fund and a lot of building to maintain.

One building, very different suites

Suites run from about 597 to 1,961 square feet. That is a wider spread than most towers, and it gives you a genuine choice between compact one-bedroom units and large two-bedroom-plus-den plans. Listings I saw included one-bedroom, one-plus-den and two-plus-den layouts.

The large plans are what set it apart from the newer towers around Scarborough Centre, which are built mainly around smaller suites. A two-plus-den in the 1990s mould often has a separate dining area and a den large enough to function as a third bedroom or office.

I could not find published ceiling heights for this tower, so measure them at a showing if they matter to you. Finishes vary widely, because many suites are on their second or third owner and some have been renovated while others are original. Upper floors are where the views pay off, since the tower rises above most of its neighbours.

Because the building is big, the same floor plan comes up for sale often. That is useful: you can compare the same layout across floors and exposures, and see how condition and view affect price within the building.

Hydro and heat in the fee, parking outside it

The fee inclusion list covers common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, building insurance and water. Including hydro is uncommon in newer towers, and it removes one of the bills that swings the most from month to month.

Parking is not on the inclusion list. Most listings I saw came with a space, and at least one with two, but whether parking costs extra each month is something to confirm in the status certificate for the suite you are considering. Lockers are also worth asking about directly.

Active listings when I checked carried fees of about $546 to $1,031 a month, which condos.ca puts at roughly $0.87 per square foot on average. That looks high next to a new tower until you add hydro and heat back to the newer building’s number.

Scarborough Centre is changing around it

The building sits in the Scarborough Town Centre area, with the mall, the civic centre and the Consilium offices all close by. For daily life that means shopping, services and government offices within reach, and a commercial setting rather than a residential street.

The area is in the middle of a long transition. The Scarborough RT has closed and the Line 2 subway extension is being built toward Scarborough Centre, while new condo towers continue to rise around the mall. That should make the area more connected over time, and it also brings construction and new competing supply.

Living here is practical rather than scenic. The towers sit among office buildings, parking structures and wide roads, and the mall is the neighbourhood’s main gathering place. Buyers who want a quiet residential street should look elsewhere; buyers who want errands, offices and transit connections close together will find this one of the more convenient addresses in Scarborough.

For an owner, the question is timing. If you plan to stay through the transit work, you may benefit when it is finished. If you plan to sell sooner, expect to compete with new towers marketing larger amenity packages.

What Consilium II costs per square foot

The building average sits around $531 per square foot on condos.ca. That is well below what new towers around Scarborough Centre are asking, and it is the main reason buyers look at older Tridel stock here.

There were 12 suites listed for sale and 5 for rent when I checked. Among the listings I reviewed, asking prices ranged from $374,900 to $555,000. That range covers both small and large suites, so a lower price here often buys more space than the same money in a new tower.

Plenty of listings is a good thing for a buyer: you have choice and negotiating room. It also means you should expect similar competition when you sell, so buy the suite with the best view, layout and condition you can, rather than the cheapest one. My building sold report covers recent trades.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Residences at the Consilium II

Two pools, one indoors and one outdoors, are the standout, and few Scarborough towers offer both. Add a games room, a sauna and security staff, and the building covers most of what a family or commuter needs without leaving the property.

Jatin’s honest take on The Residences at the Consilium II

The Residences at the Consilium 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.