West Dean Park Townhomes: 34 Three-Storey Homes on a Former Plaza Site

West Dean Park Townhomes is a small Etobicoke complex with an unusually clear history. The City’s planning file shows it replacing a one-storey plaza with 55 three-storey townhouses, of which the 34 internal homes on the private driveway form this condominium. Each was planned with a garage and a second parking space, which is rare at this price point. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

From a local plaza to 55 townhouses

In January 2000, City of Toronto planning staff reported on an Oxford Hills Developments application for 15 West Deane Park Drive, at the southeast corner of West Deane Park Drive and Rabbit Lane. The site held East Mall Plaza, a one-storey L-shaped commercial plaza with surface parking, and the plan was to replace it with 55 three-storey townhouses.

The plan split the site in two. Twenty-one homes would face West Deane Park Drive and Rabbit Lane, with rear garages off a private lane, and 34 internal homes would be reached by a private driveway. The 34 units condos.ca lists for TSCC-1471 match the internal homes, which is consistent with the street-facing homes being held separately.

That matters when you search. A home facing the street may have a different tenure and a different fee from one inside the complex, even though they look the same. Check the legal description and the status certificate for any home you consider.

Three storeys, a garage and a second space

The planning report described each home as three storeys, at least 6.3 metres wide, with internal homes of about 1,600 square feet. Condos.ca lists them at about 1,670 square feet today, so the numbers line up.

Parking was planned at two spaces per home: one in an integral garage and one in front, plus six visitor spaces. For a family with two cars, that is a real advantage over many condominium townhouses in Toronto that come with one space.

Three storeys means stairs. The layout typically puts the garage and an entry level at grade, living space in the middle and bedrooms on top. That works for families and less well for anyone who wants one-level living, so walk the stairs before you fall for the price.

Management and the size of the corporation

Metropolis Condominium Management Inc. is the property manager on record. In a 34-home corporation, a professional manager gives the board support with contractors, budgets and records, and you should ask how long they have managed the complex.

With 34 homes, each owner carries about three per cent of every shared cost. That is manageable for routine work, but a large project such as a driveway rebuild lands heavily on each home if the reserve fund is short. Read the study and the current contribution together, and look for a funding plan that does not rely on big jumps later.

The setting in central Etobicoke

The planning report described the neighbours at the time: single detached homes across West Deane Park Drive to the north, a six-storey apartment building and parking structures to the south, a school site to the east, and townhouses, walk-up apartments and an automotive use across Rabbit Lane to the west.

In other words, this is a mixed residential pocket rather than a quiet suburban crescent, and the complex fits it at about 58 homes per hectare. The automatic panel on this page shows the transit, parks and shops nearby.

The planning designation tells you something too. The site was zoned for local commercial use, and the City needed an Official Plan amendment and rezoning to allow homes. The plaza that served the neighbourhood was replaced by housing, so for daily shopping you rely on the stores the panel lists rather than anything on site.

What a 2002 townhouse complex needs now

At 24 years old, the first big replacement cycle is close: roofs, windows, doors, the private driveway and site drainage. Read the reserve fund study for when each is due and how it is funded, and read the minutes for how the board has handled it.

Pay particular attention to the private driveway. It serves all 34 homes and is one of the largest shared assets the corporation owns. Ask when it was last resurfaced, what the reserve fund study allows for it, and who pays for snow clearing and drainage repairs.

Inside the home, check the furnace, air conditioner and water heater, and whether the water heater is rented. Ask for permits for any basement or ground-floor work.

Three-storey townhouses also have a lot of exterior wall and window for their footprint. Ask whether the corporation or the owner is responsible for windows and doors under the declaration, because a window replacement programme is a large cost either way.

Fees and pricing context

The fee covers common elements and building insurance only. Water, heat, hydro and the parking that comes with the home are on you or part of the home itself. That is why fees in complexes like this look low; add utilities back before comparing with a building where they are included.

One home was listed for sale when I checked, so there is no range of active asking prices to share, and condos.ca had no average price per square foot. Use my building sold report for recent aggregates, and compare with other Etobicoke condominium townhouses of a similar size and age.

Remember to compare like with like. A street-facing home in the same development may have a different tenure and fee, which affects price.

For a buyer weighing this against a freehold townhouse in Etobicoke, the fee is the price of shared upkeep of the driveway, roofs and grounds. Read what the declaration says the corporation covers, add the fee to your monthly budget, and compare the total with what owning and maintaining a freehold of similar size would cost you.

Building specifications

Amenities at West Dean Park Townhomes

There are no shared amenities beyond visitor parking and basic security. For a 34-home complex, that is a good thing: the fee pays for the buildings and the driveway, not a facility few owners use.

Jatin’s honest take on West Dean Park Townhomes

West Dean Park Townhomes — frequently asked questions

Looking at Downsview, Weston, York University Heights, Rexdale and northwest Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.