Corktown District II, 510 King St E: Soft Lofts and Live/Work Lofthouses

Corktown District II is what I show buyers who want a loft feel without paying for a converted warehouse. It is a 2012 Streetcar Developments building on King Street East with 10-foot ceilings, concrete floors and, tucked behind it, a set of two-level live/work lofthouses that rarely come up for sale. At eight storeys it is small enough that you will know your neighbours by sight. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A new building designed to look like it belongs in old Corktown

This was the second phase of Streetcar’s Corktown District plan, the first being the smaller building at King and Sumach. When the City reviewed the application in 2008, the design by Quadrangle Architects called for a two- to three-storey masonry base meant to echo the old industrial and warehouse buildings along this part of King, with the upper floors stepped back behind glass and full-width terraces.

That is roughly what got built. The finished building reads as grey brick and glass, and it holds the street at a low, human scale rather than towering over the Victorian row houses a block north. The same planning report set a goal of LEED Silver and a green roof; if green features matter to you, ask the corporation what was actually certified and what is maintained today.

The two phases were planned to share some indoor amenity space and a loading area. That kind of shared arrangement is worth understanding before you buy, because it means costs and decisions can involve the neighbouring corporation. The status certificate and any shared-facilities agreement will spell it out.

10-foot ceilings, concrete floors and the lofthouses

Inside, this is a soft loft. Listings and building profiles consistently describe 10-foot ceilings, sealed concrete floors, sliding bedroom doors with glass panels and European-style kitchens. Those details are what separate it from the standard nine-foot, laminate-floor condo a few blocks west.

The real rarity is the lofthouses. Streetcar built ten live/work units at the back of the building, each with its own exterior door, an open main floor and a wooden stair up to a loft level. UrbanToronto reported them at about 850 to 1,500 square feet, and the open ground floor was designed so it could work as a studio or office as well as a living room.

For someone running a small practice, a design studio or a consulting business, a street-facing door you control is worth a lot. Before you plan on seeing clients there, confirm what the declaration and current zoning actually permit for that specific unit.

The suite count does not quite add up

Public figures for the size of this building vary. Condos.ca lists 192 suites, one loft-specialist site lists both 192 and 182 on the same page, and the 2008 City planning report described 185 units as proposed. Applications often change during approvals, so none of these is necessarily wrong, but the declaration is the only number I would rely on.

The original mix was heavy on bachelors and one-bedrooms, with no three-bedroom suites planned. That shapes the resale market: most of what trades here is a one-bedroom or one-plus-den, and genuinely family-sized space is limited to the larger two-plus-den suites and the lofthouses.

On parking, the 2008 plan showed two underground levels, with part of the garage set aside for commercial tenants. Parking is not listed in the fee inclusions, so confirm whether a specific suite comes with a space or locker and whether either is owned or leased.

Living on King East in Corktown

This stretch of King is quieter than King West. You have the King streetcar at the door, older pubs and cafés along King and Queen, and the Distillery District a short walk south. The West Don Lands and the River City buildings sit just east, and that whole area has been filling in steadily for a decade.

The trade-off is that King East is still a working street. Streetcars run past the front door, and suites facing King will hear them; suites facing the back or the side streets are quieter. If you are sensitive to noise, see the suite in the evening as well as on a weekend afternoon, and ask which direction the bedroom faces before you fall for the kitchen.

Corktown is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, and the low-rise Victorian streets north of King give the block a residential feel you do not get closer to Jarvis. The automatic panel on this page covers transit, schools, Walk Score and nearby parks.

What the numbers say

The building average sits around $947 per square foot, which is high for a 2012 mid-rise in this part of the east end. Buyers are paying for the 10-foot ceilings, the loft finishes and a small-building feel, and the lofthouses pull the average up when they trade.

At the time of writing there were three active listings asking from $879,000 to $1,896,000, with monthly fees from $771 to $1,769. The top of that range reflects a large suite, not the typical one-bedroom. Fees cover heat, air conditioning and water as well as common elements, which helps when you compare against newer buildings where heat is metered separately.

With only a handful of listings at any time, comparables here are thin. If you are buying, I would look at at least a year of sales in this building and the neighbouring Corktown District and River City phases before settling on a number. My building sold report can pull that together.

Building specifications

Amenities at Corktown District II

The amenity package is modest and practical: a gym, a rooftop terrace with barbecues, a media room and meeting space, plus concierge. There is no pool, which keeps fees lower than they would otherwise be in a building this size.

Jatin’s honest take on Corktown District II

Corktown District II — frequently asked questions

Looking at Church–Wellesley, Corktown, Moss Park and Cabbagetown more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.