Condo of the Week: $1.3 million for a suite in a historic building near Yonge and Eglinton

Address: 1111 Avenue Road, Unit 101 Neighbourhood: Yonge and Eglinton Agent: Susan Froese-McHardy, Royal Lepage Real Estate Sevices Ltd., Brokerage Price: $1,299,000 Previously sold for: $645,000, in 2009

The place

A two-bedroom unit with a large bay window, 13-foot ceilings, a gas fireplace and a five-piece master ensuite.

Here’s the living area:

The alcove by the bay window has enough space for a dining table:

Here’s the kitchen:

There’s a windowless office:

The second bedroom is set up as a den:

Here’s the master bedroom:

And the master ensuite:

The history

This building has quite a past. It became the Hunt Club, an upper-crust sporting organization, in 1919. In 1939, it was purchased by the Royal Canadian Air Force, after which Nobel laureate Frederick G. Banting used the space to conduct secret research on the psychology of combat flying, and Wilbur R. Franks invented his anti-gravity suit. Throughout the Cold War, the building housed RCAF auxiliary squadrons. It was then a military school before being converted into condos.

Big selling point

The unit is on the ground floor of the building, so it feels more like a single-family home than an apartment. Plus, the neighbourhood has a number of schools, it’s close to the Yonge subway line, and the area will soon be served by the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

Possible deal breaker

The unit may have the feel of a single-family home, but it’s not as large as one.

By the numbers

• 1,420 square feet • $950.67 in monthly maintenance fees • 2 bedrooms • 2 bathrooms • 2 parking spaces • 1 heritage deisgnation