Yorkland at Herons Hill, 275 Yorkland Rd: The Last and Quietest Phase

Yorkland is the Heron’s Hill tower that turns its back on Sheppard. It was the last of Monarch’s three buildings on the site, it sits on Yorkland Road rather than the main street, and it tends to be the lowest-priced of the three per square foot. For a first-time buyer who drives, that combination deserves a close look. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

The final tower at Heron’s Hill

Monarch built Heron’s Hill in three phases on a brownfield corner where, as UrbanToronto reported, obsolete strip plazas and industrial buildings once stood at Sheppard and the 404. Legacy came first at 25 storeys, Ultra second at 38, and Yorkland last. Graziani + Corazza Architects designed all three, roughly 1,000 suites in total.

In May 2013 UrbanToronto described Yorkland as the tower where most of the site’s activity was concentrated, rising toward 30 storeys. Its corporation was registered in August 2014, which makes it the youngest building on the site by about nine months.

Sources disagree on height. UrbanToronto says 30 storeys and condos.ca lists 33 floors. Some of that gap may be how podium and mechanical levels are counted, so rely on the status certificate and floor plans rather than either summary.

Each tower is its own corporation. Yorkland is TSCC-2400, Ultra is TSCC-2345 and Legacy is TSCC-2162, so each has its own board, budget and reserve fund, even though Yorkland and Ultra are both listed with the same manager. Two neighbouring towers by the same builder can still be run very differently.

Set back from Sheppard

Address tells you something here. Legacy fronts Sheppard and Ultra carries a Sheppard address, but Yorkland sits on Yorkland Road on the south side of the site. That puts more of its suites away from the main road, though the 404 is still close, so ask which way the suite faces and listen at the window during rush hour.

UrbanToronto reported that the podiums of Yorkland and Ultra were designed to close the site and form a courtyard shared by all three phases. Suites that look into that courtyard are usually the quietest in the complex.

Being the last phase has a practical upside: when buyers chose suites here, Legacy and Ultra were already standing, so the views between the three towers were a known quantity. That still depends on floor and exposure, and some lower suites look straight at a neighbouring tower, so see the actual view before you offer.

Suites for first-time buyers

Condos.ca lists suites from about 396 to 875 square feet, a range that is almost entirely studios, one-bedrooms, one-plus-dens and compact two-bedrooms. That is the right product for singles, couples and investors, and the wrong one for a family that needs a third bedroom.

Current listings span that whole range, from a one-bedroom in the 500s to two-bedrooms in the 800s. In a one-plus-den around 750 square feet, see whether the den is enclosed and usable as a bedroom or office, because that is what drives both rent and resale.

With about 400 suites, and two similar towers next door, there is usually choice. Compare the same suite type across all three Heron’s Hill buildings before you decide, and weigh fee per square foot and reserve fund health as heavily as the asking price.

Small suites also mean an investor-heavy ownership mix, which is normal for this type of building. Ask the manager roughly how many suites are leased, because a high share of tenants can affect elevator traffic on moving days, amenity bookings and how engaged owners are at the annual meeting.

Daily life by the office parks

Yorkland Road is the edge of one of North York’s larger office districts, which UrbanToronto noted is visible from the towers. For anyone who works in those offices, this is a walk to work. For everyone else, the selling point is the 404, the DVP and the 401 within minutes, with Fairview Mall across the highway and Don Mills station serving the area.

The honest trade-off is that evenings are quiet and errands mean the mall or the car. The data panel beside this review lists the transit and walking details. If you want street life, Yonge and Sheppard is a subway ride west.

The pocket is also changing around you. The towers of Emerald City across the highway keep adding residents, and UrbanToronto saw the Sheppard frontage of Heron’s Hill as a possible future urban streetfront. More people nearby tends to bring more shops and restaurants, but expect it to happen slowly, one ground-floor unit at a time.

Prices and fees

Condos.ca puts Yorkland’s average at about $712 per square foot, a little below Ultra next door and below the Emerald City towers across the highway. For the youngest building on the site, with parking and utilities included, that is one of the better value points in this pocket.

Five suites were for sale when I checked, asking from $370,000 to $598,000, with four more for rent. That is a healthy number of choices without the glut you sometimes see at Ultra.

Fees on current listings average about $0.88 per square foot, or roughly $490 to $775 a month. The fee covers heat, air conditioning, water and parking. Add those costs back onto any newer building you are comparing, and Yorkland’s fee looks competitive.

Because the three Heron’s Hill towers compete for the same buyers, the sales data panel on this page and the Legacy and Ultra pages are your best guide to what a suite here is really worth.

Building specifications

Amenities at Yorkland at Herons Hill

A rooftop deck, media and meeting rooms, a party room and guest suites make this a building for working from home and hosting friends. Condos.ca’s summary does not show a gym or pool, so tour the amenities and ask what is shared with Legacy and Ultra before you rely on either.

Jatin’s honest take on Yorkland at Herons Hill

Yorkland at Herons Hill — frequently asked questions

Looking at Willowdale, Yonge & Sheppard, Bayview Village and North York Centre more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.