The Rosehill, 70 Rosehill Ave: Big Suites Beside David Balfour Park

The Rosehill is for buyers who have already decided they want a house-sized suite and a quiet street. Every recorded suite is over 2,000 square feet, the building backs onto one of the best parks in midtown, and there are only about 61 neighbours. What you need to understand is what the fee leaves out. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A quiet street that ends at a park

Rosehill Avenue is a short residential street running east from Yonge just below St. Clair, and number 70 sits near the green end of it. David A. Balfour Park and the Rosehill Reservoir are next door, and the ravine trails along Yellow Creek run south from there. That is the main reason people buy here rather than on Yonge itself.

You are close enough to walk to the shops and grocery stores at Yonge and St. Clair, but the street itself feels like a residential pocket. Other condominium buildings share the street, including 40 Rosehill and 5 Rosehill, so you will have comparables to look at when you shop.

Costain built the building in 1984, and published listing details describe it as concrete construction with a brick front. It is a mid-rise, not a tower, which keeps the scale in line with the street.

Every suite is a large suite

The recorded suite sizes start at about 2,040 square feet and go up to about 4,080. There are no studios or small one-bedrooms here. The layouts are mostly two- and three-bedroom plans, and the features buyers mention most are hardwood floors, built-in bookcases and large windows.

That size range shapes the building. With so few suites and almost all of them large, it is mostly owner-occupied territory for downsizers and established families, not a rental investor’s building. Sales are infrequent, so when the right suite comes up you need to be ready.

Sources disagree on the suite count: the building profile I use says 61, and another agent’s profile says 64. The difference is probably suites that were combined or split over the years. If it matters for your vote share or fee calculation, the declaration will settle it.

What the fee covers, and what it doesn’t

The fee includes cable TV, common elements, building insurance, parking and water. Heat and hydro are not listed as included, which is an important difference from older buildings nearby where the corporation pays for heating.

On a suite of 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, heating, cooling and lighting are a real monthly cost, so ask the seller for 12 months of hydro and gas bills, depending on how the suite is served. One recent listing described a heat pump with central air, but confirm the system in the suite you are buying, because older buildings often have a mix of original and replaced equipment.

With only one suite listed for sale at the time of writing, I won’t quote a fee figure. The status certificate will give you the current fee and the budget behind it.

Service that suits the size

For a building of about 61 suites, the service level is high. There is a concierge and security, and a published listing describes gatehouse security and a concierge that will valet-park. The amenity list includes an indoor pool with a sundeck, an exercise room, a steam room, a library and a party room.

A pool in a building this small is uncommon, and it is expensive to run and to eventually reline or rebuild. That cost is shared among relatively few owners, which is one more reason to read the reserve fund study with care.

Buying in a building that rarely trades

With about 61 suites and owners who tend to stay for a long time, only a few suites change hands in a typical year. That has two practical effects. First, there are not many recent sales to compare against, so pricing a suite here takes more judgement than it does in a 400-unit tower. Second, the best suites are often gone before they reach a wide audience.

If you are serious about the building, get your financing approved, decide in advance which layouts and exposures you would accept, and ask me to watch for it. Suites facing the park side are the ones I would expect to draw the most interest, but condition matters as much as orientation in a building of this age.

Expect a wide spread in condition. Some suites have been fully renovated by long-time owners, and others are close to original. An original suite at this size is a large renovation project, so price the work before you price the suite, and remember that work in a concrete building with neighbours above and below needs board approval and careful scheduling.

Pricing: a house-sized purchase

The building profile shows an average of about $1,341 per square foot. On suites of 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, that puts most purchases well into house territory, and the buyers here are usually comparing against a Moore Park or Rosedale semi or detached home rather than another condo.

Because only one suite was for sale at the time of writing, I won’t quote an asking range. With so few sales a year, a single price can mislead in either direction; my building sold report shows what has actually closed.

When you compare fees, remember that heat and hydro are on you here. Add an honest estimate of those bills to the fee before you compare it to a building where heat is included.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Rosehill

The pool, steam room and gym give you a full wellness routine without a club membership, and staff at the door matter to owners who travel. The bigger amenity is outside: the park and ravine trails start beside the building.

Jatin’s honest take on The Rosehill

The Rosehill — 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.