Ventus II at Metrogate, 181 Village Green Sq: The North Twin by the Park

Ventus II is the north tower of Tridel’s Ventus pair at Metrogate, and it is the half of the twin I usually find gets more buyer attention. It has more suites, a wider spread of layouts and the park on its doorstep, and it shares a lobby, concierge and fitness centre with Ventus I next door. The fee structure is the part I want you to read carefully before you fall for a suite. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The north tower, and why it’s the busier half

Ventus II is the second of two matching towers that Tridel built at Metrogate after the Solaris towers. The CTBUH Skyscraper Center calls it Ventus North and lists 30 floors above ground, two below and 314 apartments, finished in 2012. Graziani + Corazza Architects designed it, as they did the rest of the Metrogate condo towers.

Of the pair, this one has more suites, 314 against 288 at Ventus I, and a wider size range. Condos.ca lists suites from about 483 to 921 sq ft, which means both the smallest and the largest plans in the Ventus pair are here. That spread is why I usually see more listings and more choice in this tower.

The two towers share a central lobby with a concierge desk and Tridel’s recreation and fitness centre. Day to day, you will not feel much difference between them. On paper they are separate condominium corporations, with separate budgets, reserve funds and boards, and that difference matters when you buy.

Layouts: from compact one-bedrooms to two-plus-dens

At the small end, a 483 sq ft suite is a starter one-bedroom or an investor unit. At the top, a 921 sq ft two-plus-den is a genuine small-family suite, and that is rare in Scarborough towers of this age. The current listings are spread across the 600 to 899 sq ft bands, which is the heart of the building.

The builder’s marketing promised one-, two- and three-bedroom plans with city views, and the north tower’s upper floors do look out over Metrogate Park and the low-rise streets to the north. South-facing suites look toward the 401 and get more traffic noise, so orientation is worth more attention than floor height here.

As with any 2012 tower, kitchens and bathrooms in original condition will be due for updating. Budget for that if you are comparing a renovated suite with an original one at a similar price.

The fee: read the inclusion list twice

Condos.ca lists common elements, building insurance, water and air conditioning as included at Ventus II. It does not list heat or parking. Ventus I next door does list parking as included, which is unusual for twin towers built by the same developer at the same time.

I would not assume either listing is complete. The practical step is simple: ask for the status certificate and the current budget, confirm whether parking is charged separately, and check whether the suite has a deeded or assigned space and locker. That one check can change your real monthly cost by a meaningful amount.

Life at Metrogate

Metrogate is Tridel’s planned community at the north-east corner of Kennedy Road and the 401. Around the park you have the elliptical Solaris towers, the Ventus pair, the later Avani towers and rows of townhouses. The park is the centre of the community, and Ventus II sits right on it.

This is a location for drivers and commuters. Highway access is excellent, and the data panel on this page shows the transit options and walking times. Groceries, malls and restaurants are a short drive or bus ride away rather than on your street, so do not expect a walk-everywhere lifestyle.

Metrogate has kept growing since Ventus finished. Before you buy a suite for its view, check the City of Toronto development applications map for anything proposed on nearby parcels.

Buying into a shared-facility pair

Twin towers with one lobby and one amenity centre are efficient, but they come with a governance wrinkle. Two boards and two budgets have to agree on how shared costs are split, from concierge staffing to gym equipment to the eventual renovation of the lobby.

None of that is a warning sign by itself, and shared facilities are common across Metrogate, but the arrangement is worth reading before you buy. In the status certificate and board minutes, look for the shared facilities agreement, how the cost split is calculated, and whether either corporation has flagged upcoming work on the shared spaces. A well-run sharing arrangement is a strength; an unclear one is a future fee increase.

What Ventus II costs

Condos.ca puts the building average at about $653 per square foot, slightly above Ventus I at about $625. Ventus II has more of the smallest suites, and small suites usually carry a higher per-foot price, so I read that gap as suite mix rather than a premium for the tower.

There are three active listings asking $435,000 to $549,900. Fees across those listings run about $515 to $697 a month, or roughly $0.82 per square foot, which is mid-range for a 2012 Scarborough tower.

That fee is a little lower than Ventus I. If parking turns out to be charged separately here, the true monthly cost may be close to even between the two towers, so compare the all-in number, not the headline fee. For the sold data behind these averages, ask me for my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Ventus II at Metrogate

The shared amenity centre is bigger than a single 314-suite tower would usually support, and its costs are spread across both Ventus buildings. The barbecue area and media room are the everyday wins; just expect company in the gym at peak hours.

Jatin’s honest take on Ventus II at Metrogate

Ventus II at Metrogate — frequently asked questions

Looking at Agincourt, L’Amoreaux, Milliken, Dorset Park and Wexford in Scarborough more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.