The family home of late Toronto mayor Rob Ford has been listed for sale with an asking price of $2.499-million.
The one-storey, three-bedroom house at 223 Edenbridge Dr., a winding street in Etobicoke, currently stands empty. During Mr. Ford’s tenure as mayor from 2010 to 2014, the white-brick bungalow was frequently the backdrop for media scrums as Mr. Ford became embroiled in a substance-abuse scandal. Televisions crews often camped out at the end of the driveway.
Real-estate agent Mike Donia of RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc. is selling the house on behalf of Mr. Ford’s widow, Renata Ford, and her two children.
Mr. Donia says the house, which has been on the market for a few days, has attracted a fair amount of interest. He thinks the fact the former mayor lived in the home will add to its cachet.
“It’s probably a positive because a lot of people loved him,” he said.
Showings will be by appointment only.
Mr. Donia said the “well-kept family home” may appeal to a family or an investor who could rent it out for $5,000 to $6,000 a month. “That neighbourhood rents in three seconds,” he said.
The interior has been freshly painted, and the house has had about $80,000 in recent upgrades, he added. “It’s all renovated and it’s very livable.”
He says the more likely outcome is that the 80-by-119-foot lot will appeal to a builder who will tear down the house and build a more palatial home in an area where new houses are selling for as much as $8-million. He says a builder could pay the asking price, spend $2-million on construction and still turn a profit.
The property is bordered on two sides by parkland in James Gardens, which offers tennis courts and walking trails along the Humber River in Toronto’s west end.
Mr. Ford was first elected to city council to represent Ward 2 – Etobicoke North in 2000.
He was diagnosed with cancer in September, 2014, and died in March, 2016.
Carolyn Ireland