A sprawling midtown Toronto mansion that once belonged to Prince is for sale for more than $17.8 million, one year after the seller pulled it from the housing market following the music icon’s untimely death.
The listing will be made public sometime in April, realtor Victor Brewda told CTVNews.ca.
The mansion, located in Toronto’s affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood, is being listed for nearly $18 million. Last year, the home was listed for $12.8 million. However, it was removed from the market following Prince’s unexpected death in April.
Brewda, who is handling the sale of the property along with realtor Barry Cohen, told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday that the seller didn’t want to be seen as trying to capitalize on the attention generated by the “Purple Rain” singer’s death by listing his former home. Prince died from an accidental overdose at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on April 21, 2016. He was 57.
“We were going to put it back on but we figured we would wait until spring, because the grounds are absolutely gorgeous,” Brewda said, later adding, “in the wintertime it’s very difficult to view it.”
Prince purchased the Bridle Path home after marrying Toronto native Manuela Testolini in 2001. He lived there for approximately five years before the couple divorced in 2006.
The six-bedroom mansion features 10 bathrooms, a gym, swimming pool, marble floors and a secluded yard with centuries-old trees.
Brewda said other than some maintenance, nothing of significance has changed on the property since it was for sale last year. Traces of the pop star’s presence remain, including a room where Prince did some of his music writing while in Toronto.
Brewda said the asking price has little to do with its once-famous owner. “The selling price is all geared to the real estate market,” he said. “The fact that he was a prior owner at one time, is just really the nature of the home.”
Brewda said homebuyers are interested in the neighbourhood because it is one of the more “affluent, luxury areas in Canada.” He also noted that rap superstar Drake is moving in “just around the corner.”
