Condo of the Week: $1.6 million to live where Frank Gehry’s grandmother’s house used to be

By Josh Dehaas | May 20, 2016

By Josh Dehaas | 05/20/2016

Address: 15 Beverley Street
Neighbourhood: Queen West
Agent: Josh Klein, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
Price: $1,600,000

The place

The largest and last-remaining unsold penthouse in a new 11-floor building just north of Queen West. It’s got three bedrooms and a sizeable terrace.

Here’s the dining area. The flooring here and throughout the rest of the condo is engineered oak:

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The condo has a northwest view:

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The kitchen has a Wolf ovens and a Sub-Zero fridge:

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It’s hard to find a three-bedroom condo in Toronto, but this place is one. Here’s one of them:

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Another bedroom:

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And the master bedroom:

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The master bedroom’s en suite bathroom has a swanky shower:

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The history

City planners were hesitant to let this project move forward, in part because it involved knocking down a few 1858 row houses, one of which was a childhood haunt of Frank Gehry’s. The starchitecht has reminisced about hours spent playing on Beverley Street, in his maternal grandparents’ home, where he would build cities out of wood scraps and challah dough. City council gave the green light for demolition after the developer made concessions, including cash for affordable housing and a minimum number of three-bedroom units. (Gehry’s cranky reaction to the design of the new building: “It’s awful.”)

Big selling point

The streets that inspired a young Gehry have changed drastically, but they’re still a creative milieu. OCAD and the AGO are just down the street, and Kensington Market and U of T aren’t far. Also, the sunset view in this unit is supposed to be pretty great.

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Possible deal breaker

The terrace was designed for a hot tub, but the developer opted not to add one. Installing one now could involve renting a crane. Might we suggest a wet bar, instead?

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By the numbers:

• $1,600,000
• 1,585 square feet
• $900 in monthly maintenance fees
• 552-square-foot terrace
• 10.5-foot ceilings
• 3 bathrooms
• 1 parking space (with option to buy more)
• 1 locker
• 1 shared rooftop pool and party area
• 1 awesome northwest view