First

The security team is great, and the floorplans are spacious, which is unusual downtown. That’s about where the positives end for me. I lived here for three years, and it was the worst living experience I’ve had. This isn’t a luxury building. There are major, fundamental problems, and I’m glad I moved out. The first year, the elevator broke down almost every week for months before a permanent fix. Sometimes the wait was close to 10 minutes because one elevator was out. In the second year, the risers couldn’t handle temperature fluctuations and had to be replaced. Large access holes were cut in every apartment and hallway, floor protectors were laid throughout, and contractors repeatedly moved the fridge in my unit to reach the risers. There were frequent water and HVAC shutoffs for months. Then a riser on the 11th floor burst and sprayed pressurized water. It wasn’t shut off for at least an hour, flooding over 40 units from floor 11 to floor 3, as well as the lobby. The condo board took months to settle on a contractor plan, choosing the cheapest option, which stretched out the work. Contractors started on lower floors even though the upper floors had worse damage. The flood was in October 2022; the master schedule said work on floor 3 would begin in April 2023 and floor 11 in September 2023. Each floor was expected to take about two months, so upper-floor units would be rebuilt a year after the flood. Delays already meant people had to stay out of their homes for up to another month. Before I moved out, I spent almost a year without flooring, baseboards, casings, with holes in the walls and ceiling, and with more water and HVAC shutoffs. It was a nightmare and traumatic, and badly mismanaged. There was also a leak in the P2 ceiling that dripped onto my car and storage unit. It took a year of repeated follow-ups and emails before management dealt with it. The garage door breaks constantly, and there are no mirrors at tight corners in the lot. It feels like they cheaped out on everything. The HVAC couldn’t reach my master bedroom or regulate its temperature. In summer it was very hot, and in winter very cold. I set the thermostat to 31 C, but the room stayed at 14 C. The building isn’t well insulated. The amenities don’t make up for these issues. The gym is small and has broken equipment, the dance studio is just empty space, and the terrace has nothing in it. The rooftop common areas have lovely views, and I’ve booked the party room several times, so those are nice. The developers should be ashamed. These problems affect people’s homes and livelihoods, and the building continues to be mismanaged. I strongly urge anyone considering buying or renting here to stay far away. I can only imagine the condo premiums with all these issues.

The location used to be a big plus, right by the river and Superstore, but lately it feels like the homeless population has taken over. I pretty much have to face homeless people every time I go for a walk. I’ve rented here for three years and wouldn’t recommend the building. The elevators are always breaking, there are constant leaks being fixed, and though the building is only about five years old, they’ve had to enter every condo at least once a year to deal with ongoing structural problems.

I like the security guards. They’re nice and helpful, though they’re usually the ones passing along messages from “the board.” Staff often attribute rules to the board, with comments like “the board noticed this.” When I moved in, a front desk employee said I could leave my U-Haul in the parking bay overnight instead of on the street. I parked it around 10 pm, and as I went inside, security told me the board had seen it and wasn’t happy the employee had said I could park there. I have other examples, mostly petty things, but the whole setup is odd and annoying. I moved into the First building in May 2022. Two weeks earlier, there had been a “random” water leak and half my apartment’s flooring was torn up. The front desk said it wasn’t common, just a random incident. I waited two months for the property management company to arrange repairs, then finally got new flooring. On October 13, 2022, another major leak happened. A pipe apparently broke on the 11th floor, flooding all the units below, including mine. I could hear water rushing through my neighbours’ apartments from the hallway. There are loud, random ceiling noises that sound like a valve opening and closing, and they wake me at night. I told staff, but nothing has been done. There was also a case where someone above me broke their balcony glass, and the pieces fell onto my balcony and the one next to it. Staff said cleaning it up was my responsibility. Later, security told me the board was worried glass might fall into the street and create a health and safety issue. It didn’t seem to consider the safety of the tenants paying to live there. I’m writing so people know what living here has been like. For me, it’s unacceptable, and I wouldn’t recommend moving in.

I’m counting down until my lease ends so I can get out. The cost is outrageous for what you get. If you’re moving to East Village, I’d look at the Verve, Pulse, or Ink instead. You won’t get your money’s worth here. The building looks pleasant, but it was cheaply built and is already falling apart at five years old. Water gets shut off almost every other day for leaks, and many appliances weren’t installed properly, so they spring leaks too. Cabinets and floorboards regularly fall off or are already warped. The elevators go out often, too. If you like waiting 10 minutes to get from the parkade to your apartment, you’ll love this place. The one good thing I can say is that the security guards are good and polite now that Al has been replaced.