Townhomes of St. Clair I: 107 Brick Townhomes South of Upper Junction Park

Townhomes of St. Clair I is the kind of complex buyers drive past on Weston Road without realising how much is behind the front row: 107 brick condominium townhomes spread over Maria Street, Birdstone Crescent and Brickworks Lane, built on land that was industrial within living memory. For a family that wants stairs, a front door and a parking space for less than a Junction semi, it deserves a proper look. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A townhouse street grid on former industrial land

This complex sits on a pocket of land between Weston Road and Brickworks Lane, below Upper Junction Park. The wider area around Keele, Weston Road and St. Clair was Toronto’s stockyards and meat-packing district for most of the twentieth century. The Ontario Stockyards closed in 1994, and the land has since been rebuilt, mostly with big-box retail and, on its edges, townhouse communities like this one.

What you get here is a small street grid of its own. The homes are faced in a pale, sandstone-toned brick and laid out in rows along Maria Street, Birdstone Crescent and Brickworks Lane, with small private green spaces rather than large yards. The street names nod to the area’s industrial past, and the whole complex reads as one planned development rather than a collection of infill projects.

There is also a second phase. Townhomes of St. Clair II, at 8-47 Brickworks Lane and 1952 St. Clair Avenue West, is a separate corporation. When you compare listings, check which corporation a home belongs to, because fees, reserve funds and rules will differ between the two.

107 homes, one corporation, and the parking question

TSCC-1725 was registered in November 2005, which makes the complex about 20 years old. With 107 homes, it is large enough to spread costs sensibly, but small enough that the board’s decisions are felt directly. Condos.ca lists Comfort Property Management as the manager. Confirm that is still current before you rely on it.

Condos.ca lists a parking garage, visitor parking and a security system, and parking is part of the maintenance fee. In townhouse complexes of this era, that often means a shared underground garage rather than a private garage attached to each home. Ask the listing agent exactly how the space for the home you are viewing works, how many spaces come with it, and whether there is a locker.

A shared garage matters because it is one of the biggest long-term costs a townhouse corporation carries. The membrane, drainage, lighting and ramp all need repair over time, and at 20 years the first large work is often coming into view. That belongs at the top of your list when you read the reserve fund study.

Living with stairs, a patio and pets

Condos.ca records the complex as one storey, which is simply how its database treats townhouse complexes. These are multi-level homes, and condos.ca does not publish a size range, so measure the home you are viewing and confirm whether any basement or lower level is included in the stated area.

Pets are listed as allowed and barbecues as permitted, which is what most buyers moving from a rental apartment are looking for. The declaration and rules will spell out the details, such as limits on numbers or where barbecues may sit, so read them in the status certificate rather than assuming.

The trade-off with any townhouse is the stairs. They suit young families and people who want separation between living and sleeping floors. They suit people with mobility concerns much less well, and that is worth being honest with yourself about before you buy for the long term.

Weston Road, St. Clair and the Stockyards next door

Day to day, this is a practical location rather than a pretty one. The Stockyards retail district along St. Clair Avenue West puts large stores such as Home Depot, Staples and Metro within easy reach, which is a real convenience for a household doing a big weekly shop.

Upper Junction Park sits immediately north of the complex, and the shops and restaurants of the Junction on Dundas Street West are a short drive or a longer walk to the south. Weston Road itself is a busy truck and bus route, so homes facing it will hear more traffic than those tucked inside on Birdstone Crescent or Maria Street. The data panel on this page shows the nearest transit and walking times.

The area is still changing. In 2018, Diamond Corp and Kilmer Brownfield Management proposed an 11-storey mixed-use building and stacked townhomes on a former brownfield site at St. Clair Avenue West and Old Weston Road, a short distance east. More housing and ground-floor retail along St. Clair would add to what is walkable from here, along with more traffic.

How to price a home here

At the time of writing there were no homes in this complex listed for sale or lease, and condos.ca did not publish a building average price per square foot. That is normal for a townhouse complex, where homes trade less often than condo apartments and vary more in size and condition.

Pricing therefore comes from the recorded sales in the data panel on this page, from Townhomes of St. Clair II next door, and from other 2000s condo townhouses around the Junction and St. Clair West. Adjust for size, the parking arrangement, finishes and whether the home faces Weston Road or sits inside the complex.

The fee covers common elements, parking and water. Heat and hydro are typically on your own meters in a townhouse, so ask for recent utility bills. My building sold report will pull the recent comparables for this complex and its neighbours.

Building specifications

Amenities at Townhomes of St. Clair I

There is no gym, pool or party room here, and that is normal for a townhouse complex. The fee pays for the shared structure, grounds, parking and water, and the real amenities are your own entrance, a patio for the barbecue and Upper Junction Park on the doorstep.

Jatin’s honest take on Townhomes of St. Clair I

Townhomes of St. Clair I — frequently asked questions

Looking at the Junction, Corso Italia, Hillcrest Village and west-central Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.