Lofts on Frederick, 180 Frederick St: 12 Hard Lofts Off King East

Lofts on Frederick is the building I mention when a buyer says they want a real loft near St. Lawrence Market but cannot face a 30-storey tower. It has only 12 suites above street-level retail, with polished concrete, exposed brick and open ductwork, and a fee that covers heat and hydro. The catch is that almost nothing ever comes up for sale. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Twelve suites over the shops

This is a mixed-use building: retail at street level, and a dozen residences above it. That arrangement is common on old Toronto main streets and rare in condo form, and it is the reason the building feels like part of the block rather than a development dropped onto it.

With 12 suites, you will know your neighbours and the board will be people you meet in the hallway. Turnover is low; agents who have sold here describe it as a building with very few vacancies in a given year. That is good for stability and frustrating if you are waiting to buy.

One point I could not settle. Condos.ca lists the building at two storeys, while press coverage of a 2016 sale describes a fourth-floor penthouse suite with a private rooftop terrace. Treat the storey count as unconfirmed and look at the building in person, which you would do anyway.

What the suites are actually like

These are hard-loft finishes: polished concrete floors, exposed brick in at least some suites, open ductwork and high ceilings. One upper suite that sold in 2016 had ceilings of about 11.5 feet, an oversized round window over the dining area and high windows in the bedroom.

Sizes run from about 713 to 1,046 sq ft, which is generous for a one-bedroom or one-plus-den downtown. Several suites are laid out as open one-bedroom plans rather than small two-bedrooms, so if you need a door on a second room, check the plan carefully.

Private outdoor space is limited. The 2016 coverage described that suite’s roughly 220 sq ft rooftop terrace as the only one in the building, so most owners should expect a balcony at best, or none. A storage locker of 100-plus square feet came with that suite as well; ask what comes with yours.

I could not confirm the building’s origin from a primary source, meaning whether the residences sit inside an older commercial structure or were built new in a loft style in the late 1990s. If heritage matters to you, ask the seller and check the city’s heritage register before you rely on the word “loft” in the listing.

A fee that includes heat and hydro

The fee inclusions here are unusually broad: common elements, heat, hydro, air conditioning, building insurance and water. Hydro is the one to notice. Most downtown buildings meter it per suite, and in a loft with tall ceilings and concrete floors, heating and cooling bills are not small.

That changes how you compare fees. A monthly fee here that looks higher than a tower suite of similar size may be close to even once you add back the tower’s hydro bill. Ask for the current fee schedule and compare all-in monthly costs, not the fee alone.

Parking is listed as a garage, plus visitor parking, but in at least one past sale a space was available to rent rather than owned with the suite. Confirm whether the suite you are seeing has a deeded or exclusive-use space, or whether you would be renting one.

Living a block from King East

Frederick Street is a short north-south street between King and Adelaide, a short walk from St. Lawrence Market and the restaurants on Front and King. This is the old Town of York, so the streets are walkable and dense with things to do, and the area’s Walk Score in the panel reflects that.

The King East furniture and design showrooms are steps away, and George Brown College’s St. James campus and the Distillery District are within walking range. Grocery shopping is the market itself and the supermarkets nearby, rather than a car trip.

Expect a downtown street. King and Adelaide carry heavy traffic, and the block has seen a run of new mid-rise and tower development over the years. Visit at night and on a weekday morning to judge noise for the specific suite and its exposure.

Scarce, and priced like it

The building average is about $812 per square foot. That is in line with established hard lofts in the King East and St. Lawrence area and below what new towers nearby ask per foot, though it buys you a 25-year-old building rather than a new one.

With 12 suites, sales are rare and every one moves the average. A suite with the rooftop terrace or a parking space will sit at the top of the range; a lower suite facing the lane, without parking, will sit at the bottom. I price suites here against other small east-downtown lofts rather than against towers.

There are no suites listed for sale right now. If this building is on your list, set up an alert and get pre-approved so you can move quickly. For recent sold and leased figures, see the data panel or my building sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at Lofts on Frederick

There is no gym, concierge or party room, which is normal for a 12-suite building and part of why fees stay reasonable even with hydro included. The neighbourhood is the amenity: the market, the restaurants and the design district are on foot.

Jatin’s honest take on Lofts on Frederick

Lofts on Frederick — 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.