King+ Condos, 39 Sherbourne St: A Glass Tower on an 1861 Hotel Facade

King+ Condos is one of the few downtown towers where the oldest part of the building is the part you see first. The three-storey brick front at King and Sherbourne is the restored facade of the National Hotel, dating to 1861, and the glass tower above it holds just 132 suites. It is small, it is well located for the St. Lawrence area, and its fee covers more than most buyers expect. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

What is left of the National Hotel

The National Hotel stood on this corner from 1861. When construction began in 2013, everything except the north and west facades was taken down, and those two brick walls were braced in place while the new building went up behind them.

The restoration was careful rather than cosmetic. Replica windows were installed, the ornamental cornices were recreated, and the old brick was cleaned. The new ground floor was set back slightly so the historic front reads as its own piece, and a new brick-clad section ties the facade to the red brick of Abbey Lane Lofts next door to the east.

Above the third floor the building switches to glass. Some people love the contrast and some find it abrupt. Either way, it gives the building an identity at street level that most glass towers on King East do not have, and a Starbucks now occupies the corner retail space.

For an owner, heritage cuts two ways. It protects the look of the corner, since nobody can replace that front with something blander, and it helps a small building stand out on resale. It also adds a maintenance line: masonry, painted cornices and replica windows need regular attention, and that cost belongs to the corporation, which means to you.

Loft-style suites in a small building

The 132 suites were marketed as loft-style one- and two-bedrooms, plus a set of penthouse residences. Sizes on condos.ca run from about 415 square feet to roughly 1,905. The bottom end is a compact one-bedroom aimed at investors and first-time buyers; the top end is a penthouse that would be at home in a much larger tower.

Loft-style in a new build usually means exposed concrete ceilings and an open plan, not the timber beams of a true conversion. If ceiling height matters to you, confirm it suite by suite, because a building marketed this way can still have dropped bulkheads over kitchens and bathrooms.

Because the tower sits on a heritage base, the lower floors behind the old facade can have different window patterns and room shapes from the floors above. Those suites are distinctive, but look closely at how much light comes through the replica windows before you buy one.

A fee that covers most of your bills

Condos.ca lists common elements, heat, air conditioning, water, building insurance and parking in the fee. That is close to the most complete package you will see downtown, and it means the monthly figure looks higher than at newer buildings that meter utilities to each suite.

Across the two suites listed for sale at the time of writing, fees ran from $656 to $1,863 a month, which works out to roughly $0.85 to $0.90 per square foot on the smaller suite. When you compare that to a building quoting $0.65 with nothing but common elements included, add back heating, cooling and water before deciding which is cheaper.

Parking being listed in the fee does not mean every suite comes with a space. Confirm whether the suite you want has parking or a locker, and how they are held, in the status certificate.

Living at King and Sherbourne

This corner sits between the St. Lawrence neighbourhood to the south and west and Corktown to the east. Daily life here is about walking. The King East corridor and the older warehouse blocks around it are full of restaurants, cafés and offices, and you rarely need a car for errands.

The streets around here are also still changing. Parking lots and low buildings along King and Adelaide East continue to be redeveloped, so expect cranes on nearby blocks for years to come. That brings construction noise in the short term and more shops and services over time. If you are looking at an east- or north-facing suite, ask what has been approved on the sites it looks over.

The building next door, Abbey Lane Lofts at 261 King East, is a red-brick loft building that buyers often compare with King+. The comparison is simple: Abbey Lane is the older loft-style building, King+ the newer tower with heritage on the outside. Tour both before you decide. The panel on this page covers transit, schools and nearby parks.

Price per square foot and what is listed now

The building average on condos.ca is about $761 per square foot. That sits below many of the newer glass towers on King East and reflects the mix of compact suites and the age of the building, now ten years old.

At the time of writing two suites were for sale, asking from $519,900 to $1,898,000, which spans, plus one unit for lease. Two listings is a thin sample, and in a 132-suite building the comparable sales for any one plan are few.

For a penthouse or a heritage-level suite, I would not lean on the building average at all. Those suites trade on their own terms, and the right comparison is often a similar suite in another boutique building nearby rather than a typical one-bedroom upstairs.

If you are selling, the scarcity works in your favour. A boutique building with a heritage front and an inclusive fee does not have many direct competitors, and the right buyer will pay for that. Price it against the specific plan and floor, not against the newest tower down the street.

Building specifications

Amenities at King+ Condos

The amenities suit a boutique building: a fitness centre, a lounge and party room with a bar and catering space, a guest suite, media and meeting rooms, and concierge. Beanfield Fibre is available, which is worth having if you work from home.

Jatin’s honest take on King+ Condos

King+ Condos — 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.