The Tailor, 1195 The Queensway: Marlin Spring’s Mid-Rise at $655 a Foot

The Tailor is one of the newest mid-rise condos on The Queensway: a 142-suite building by Marlin Spring at the corner of Zorra Street, registered in 2023. It is a compact-suite building aimed at first-time buyers and investors, and with eight suites for sale and eleven for rent when I checked, there is plenty of supply to choose from. That supply is the first thing I would think about. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A Marlin Spring mid-rise at Zorra Street

The Tailor sits on the southwest corner of The Queensway and Zorra Street. UrbanToronto’s project database lists Marlin Spring and Harbour Equity Capital Corp as developers, Graziani + Corazza Architects as architect, Mason Studio for interiors and NAK Design Strategies for landscape. The corporation, TSCC-2996, was registered in September 2023, and UrbanToronto lists completion in 2024.

The numbers changed between application and completion. The 2017 rezoning application described a 12-storey building of 159 units with retail at grade and three levels of underground parking. The finished building is listed at 142 suites, and the height is given as 10 storeys by UrbanToronto and 11 by condos.ca. A mechanical or amenity level is often the reason for that kind of difference.

On design, the building has a framed podium with a lighter glass-and-spandrel tower above. It is a clean, conventional mid-rise rather than an architectural statement, and that is typical of the newer buildings along this stretch.

Compact suites, with one caveat on size

Condos.ca gives a suite range of about 613 to 962 square feet. The current listings are mostly one-bedroom-plus-den and two-bedroom plans, with one two-bedroom-plus-den at the top of the range.

There is a conflict worth noting. One current listing is in the under-500-square-foot band, which falls below the range condos.ca publishes for the building. That usually means the listed sizes come from different sources, such as builder plans versus measured areas. Ask for the builder’s floor plan and confirm the size before you compare prices per square foot.

In compact new suites, the details matter more than the count of bedrooms. Check whether the den is enclosed and big enough for a bed or desk, whether the second bedroom has a window, and how much storage there is. Many two-bedroom plans in this size range have a second bedroom that works better as an office. Bring a tape measure and your furniture sizes to the showing.

Fees, parking and a new corporation

Fees on the current listings average about $0.76 per square foot and run from roughly $392 to $704 a month depending on size. Condos.ca does not list what the fee includes, so check the status certificate. In buildings of this era, heat, hydro and often water are usually metered to the suite, and parking and lockers may carry their own charges.

The original application called for three levels of underground parking, but not every suite will have a space. Confirm whether the unit comes with parking and a locker, and whether they are owned or exclusive-use.

Because the corporation was registered in 2023, the Tarion common-element warranty is still in play. Ask whether the performance audit has been filed and whether any claims are open. Early fees in new buildings are often set low and rise after the first full reserve fund study, so ask when that study is due.

Daily life on this stretch of The Queensway

The Tailor sits between Kipling and Islington, a stretch of The Queensway that has filled in with newer condos, including the Remington Group’s IQ community on Zorra Street. Retail at grade is part of the building, and the main street has shops, restaurants and big-box stores along it. The data panel shows the nearest transit, groceries, parks and schools.

For drivers, the Gardiner Expressway and Highway 427 are a short drive away, which is a big part of the appeal for commuters. For everyone else, the practical question is how much you will use transit, and whether the bus connections shown in the panel work for your routine.

Expect the corridor to keep changing. Before you buy, check the City of Toronto’s development applications map for anything proposed on the blocks around you, because a new mid-rise next door can mean years of construction, more competing resale and rental supply and, eventually, more shops at street level.

Pricing at about $655 a square foot

Condos.ca puts the building’s average at about $655 per square foot. That is below the roughly $733 I see at Loggia Condos, a 2008 building further east on The Queensway whose fee includes heat and parking, and well below what new developer inventory on the corridor has been asking.

When I checked, eight suites were listed for sale, asking from $379,900 to $699,000. Across three one-bedroom and one-bedroom-plus-den listings asking prices ran from about $380,000 to $415,000. Across four two-bedroom listings, they ran from about $470,000 to $565,000. Eleven suites were listed for rent at the same time.

That much supply in a 142-suite building gives buyers leverage, but it also suggests a sizeable share of investor owners, which affects how the building feels and how fast suites sell. I would look closely at how long current listings have been on the market and at recent sale prices, which you can see in the data panel or in a building sold report. Asking prices are not sale prices.

Building specifications

Amenities at The Tailor Residences

The amenity package is the standard modern set: concierge, a gym with a yoga studio, a party room, a library and a rooftop deck with barbecues. Parcel storage is the one you will use every week, and the rooftop deck is the best reason to go out of your suite in summer.

Jatin’s honest take on The Tailor Residences

The Tailor Residences — frequently asked questions

Looking at Humber Bay Shores, Mimico, the Queensway and central Etobicoke more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.